Post by charlirozzi on Nov 13, 2024 9:54:48 GMT -8
Levi Hall was exactly where she said she would be, after her first training session with the Nightfall team she had continued on to the gym. She’d only just signed her name on the academy paperwork and she already had somewhat of a reputation attached. It was something she was used to, forth generation and the only girl in the last two, the fact that she was even here was to the surprise of a lot of people.
Taking a break from her sets, a water bottle in her hand and a small towel over her shoulder, she took a sip as she checked her phone real quick, seeing Zxavier was on his way as of a few minutes ago, she decided to wait on him and so she was bobbing on her feet and stretching out a little to ensure a slow cool off.
Zxavier walked into the gym, trying to shake off the weight that had been clinging to him since his last match. Spotting Levi, he gave her a nod, grateful she’d reached out. Her offer to talk had come just when he felt like he was reaching his breaking point. She said she understood, and for some reason, he believed her.
”Hey,” he greeted, his voice low. He hesitated, then let out a sigh. ”Thanks for waiting up. I… I’m glad you reached out. Just feels like… everyone sees me as my dad’s kid, and no matter what I do, that’s all they’re gonna see. Like, every loss just proves that I’m not cut out for this, y’know?”
He ran a hand over his face, looking away for a second to gather his thoughts. ”I thought maybe if I joined the Crucible, I could finally prove I’m more than that. But so far? It’s not looking like I’m anything more than his shadow.” He paused, giving a half-hearted shrug. ”I know you said you get it, so… how do you do it? Handle the pressure of everyone seeing you a certain way, expecting you to be just like them?”
His gaze met hers, a mix of frustration and a hint of hope that maybe, just maybe, she had an answer he hadn’t found. ”Because right now, I don’t even know if I’ve got it in me to be more than that.”
She took a deep breath as she watched him, more so than what he said she listened to the things he didn’t say, the way he looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The quiet frustration behind his eyes that burned deeper than anything he had to say.
”My family has been doing this for longer than anyone wants to admit. And you know what’s never happened?”She smiled, it was a small humourless smile, but it was there. ”We’ve never had a girl,” the way she said that word showed him how it was seen at home. ”Get out there and try to do this.”
Dropping her hand to her hips, rolling her neck on her shoulders as though she could shrug off the weight of that reality.
”I’m only here because here because my dad reached out to Chris and arranged it, so yes I get it.” She met his eyes with a sympathetic look. ”As for how I handle it? I haven’t really had the chance to put this idea to the test yet but… shut it out. The noise, other peoples words. It’s background music, it’s not your journey.”
Zxavier listened closely, her words hitting a nerve he hadn’t quite acknowledged. Her honesty about being the only girl in her family to even try wrestling was something he could feel deeply. That quiet determination? The same one he saw in himself? made him feel less alone.
He let out a low sigh and nodded. ”Yeah… I get that. It’s like they’ve already written the script for you, and you’re just supposed to follow it, right? Like, everyone expects me to be some carbon copy of my dad or… I don’t know, a ‘Nightfall success story.’ But that’s their version of what they think I should be.”
He looked away, letting her words about shutting out the noise sink in. ”Guess I haven’t been good at that yet—blocking out the expectations. It’s hard to shake that voice in my head saying they’re right, that I’m just chasing a dream I’ll never live up to.”
Zxavier’s gaze shifted back to her, a flicker of determination sparking in his eyes. ”But maybe that’s where I start. I gotta stop letting everyone else’s voices control mine. Make this about what I want. Not what they think I should want.”
A small, genuine smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he met her gaze. ”Thanks, Levi. Didn’t think anyone here would get it like that.”
She smiled back at him, there was something warmer to her smile this time as she nodded. She understood the need to live up to someone else’s expectation whilst also moving away from it. Trying to forge your own path.
”I think, you have to decide what you really want from all this, you know? You’ve heard what other people expect of you or for you, I know good and well that you’ve heard what people think you can’t or won’t be...”[/font] She opened her palms to him, like an expression of weighing up options.
”But what do you want? Who do you wanna be? Find that and focus, if that means leaning into being your fathers son then do it - don’t let trying to be something other, take you away from who you actually are.” Her eyes were steady on his as she spoke. ”I know we’re supposed to be focused on factions and warfare but Zxa, that’s not what either of us are really here for is it? I wanna find my path, you wanna find yours.”
She offered her hand to him now. ”So you keep me focused and I will you, wherever it takes you. Be it under his name or a new one all for you. You can do this, I believe in you.”
Her words struck deeper than Zxavier expected, and for the first time in a while, he felt like he had some clarity. It was so simple, yet it was exactly what he’d been avoiding. Figuring out what he wanted, not just what he thought he should want.
He looked down at her outstretched hand and felt a spark of determination reignite. Maybe she was right. Maybe he’d been so focused on distancing himself from his father’s legacy that he hadn’t even considered who he wanted to be, with or without it.
”Yeah… yeah, you’re right.” He nodded slowly, meeting her gaze with newfound resolve. ”I’ve been so caught up in proving I’m not just his kid that I forgot to figure out who I actually am. Maybe it’s time I stop running from the name and start making it my own, on my terms.”
He reached out, taking her hand with a small but genuine smile. ”Thanks, Levi. I didn’t realize how much I needed this talk.” He squeezed her hand, a silent pact forming between them. ”Alright, let’s do this. I’ll keep you focused, and you do the same for me. Together, we’ll find our own way.”
He let go of her hand, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. ”And who knows? Maybe one day, we’ll both be exactly who we’re meant to be with no shadows and no expectations. Just us.”
She relaxed into a genuine smile, as though some of the weight she had been carrying was lifted as well. She leaned in close with a conspiratorial smirk this time.
”And lucky for you, I can deadlift 450 so if you need me to carry you sometimes, I can.” She was used to her size and her form being something that people were automatically intimidated by. She knew that wouldn’t be the case with him and so poking fun at herself in his presence was her way of showing trust and understanding without having to lay it all out there.
”Bet no one else has ever said that, huh?”
Zxavier chuckled, a real laugh that he hadn’t let out in a while. Her smirk and the easy way she joked about herself made the tension between them feel lighter, like he could actually let down his guard around her.
”Nah, can’t say anyone’s ever offered to carry my sorry self like that,” he replied with a grin. ”But hey, if I’m gonna be carried, might as well be by someone who can deadlift 450, right?”
He shook his head, still smiling. ”I gotta admit, I didn’t expect you to be the one giving me that boost I needed. Guess I was too caught up thinking everyone here was just competition. But you? You get it.”
He nudged her shoulder lightly. ”So don’t think I won’t hold you to that offer. Just… maybe not in front of everyone. I have a reputation to uphold, you know?”
”But if it’s not in front of everyone how will I prove it?”[/font] Her tone was fully playful as she said that before she nodded, thinking over what he said for a moment.
”Honestly, a lot of people don’t get the pressure we’re under, because for them this is their first taste of the industry… so they think loud and wrong is the answer. So let them think it and find out the hard way, right?”[/font]
Zxavier nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. ”Yeah, let them keep making all the noise. They’ll figure it out eventually… or they won’t.”
He held out a fist to her, a quiet determination in his eyes. ”Here’s to keeping our heads down and doing it our way.”
She met his fist with hers, a nod of agreement as she did. She was glad to have reached out, to have made a friend who understood what it was like to have more in this than just some training and a social media account. These were the types of bonds she wanted to make, friendships with people who understood the value of hard work and longevity.
”Leave the smack talk to the slackers and we’ll work our way up from under them. Keep that focus.”
Zxavier nodded, meeting her gaze with a grateful smile. ”Thanks again, Levi. Really… I needed this.”
He glanced toward the ring, then back at her with a spark in his eyes. ”So, you feel like hitting the ropes? Let’s see if you’re ready to soar.”
She laughed in an almost shocked way, shaking her head at him.
”Soar? What about me says high flyer to you?”[/font] Her eyes were wide and a delighted smile crossed her face. The idea of even attempting anything like that was actually laughable to her. ”But! I’ll help you figure out some counters to people trying to keep you grounded.”
Zxavier chuckled, shaking his head with a grin. ”Come on, Levi, don’t knock it till you try it. I could show you a few high-flying moves, get you soaring like an eagle.”
He gave her a playful nudge. ”Just imagine the look on everyone’s face when you pull something unexpected out of the bag. Could be our secret weapon.”
Taking a break from her sets, a water bottle in her hand and a small towel over her shoulder, she took a sip as she checked her phone real quick, seeing Zxavier was on his way as of a few minutes ago, she decided to wait on him and so she was bobbing on her feet and stretching out a little to ensure a slow cool off.
Zxavier walked into the gym, trying to shake off the weight that had been clinging to him since his last match. Spotting Levi, he gave her a nod, grateful she’d reached out. Her offer to talk had come just when he felt like he was reaching his breaking point. She said she understood, and for some reason, he believed her.
”Hey,” he greeted, his voice low. He hesitated, then let out a sigh. ”Thanks for waiting up. I… I’m glad you reached out. Just feels like… everyone sees me as my dad’s kid, and no matter what I do, that’s all they’re gonna see. Like, every loss just proves that I’m not cut out for this, y’know?”
He ran a hand over his face, looking away for a second to gather his thoughts. ”I thought maybe if I joined the Crucible, I could finally prove I’m more than that. But so far? It’s not looking like I’m anything more than his shadow.” He paused, giving a half-hearted shrug. ”I know you said you get it, so… how do you do it? Handle the pressure of everyone seeing you a certain way, expecting you to be just like them?”
His gaze met hers, a mix of frustration and a hint of hope that maybe, just maybe, she had an answer he hadn’t found. ”Because right now, I don’t even know if I’ve got it in me to be more than that.”
She took a deep breath as she watched him, more so than what he said she listened to the things he didn’t say, the way he looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The quiet frustration behind his eyes that burned deeper than anything he had to say.
”My family has been doing this for longer than anyone wants to admit. And you know what’s never happened?”She smiled, it was a small humourless smile, but it was there. ”We’ve never had a girl,” the way she said that word showed him how it was seen at home. ”Get out there and try to do this.”
Dropping her hand to her hips, rolling her neck on her shoulders as though she could shrug off the weight of that reality.
”I’m only here because here because my dad reached out to Chris and arranged it, so yes I get it.” She met his eyes with a sympathetic look. ”As for how I handle it? I haven’t really had the chance to put this idea to the test yet but… shut it out. The noise, other peoples words. It’s background music, it’s not your journey.”
Zxavier listened closely, her words hitting a nerve he hadn’t quite acknowledged. Her honesty about being the only girl in her family to even try wrestling was something he could feel deeply. That quiet determination? The same one he saw in himself? made him feel less alone.
He let out a low sigh and nodded. ”Yeah… I get that. It’s like they’ve already written the script for you, and you’re just supposed to follow it, right? Like, everyone expects me to be some carbon copy of my dad or… I don’t know, a ‘Nightfall success story.’ But that’s their version of what they think I should be.”
He looked away, letting her words about shutting out the noise sink in. ”Guess I haven’t been good at that yet—blocking out the expectations. It’s hard to shake that voice in my head saying they’re right, that I’m just chasing a dream I’ll never live up to.”
Zxavier’s gaze shifted back to her, a flicker of determination sparking in his eyes. ”But maybe that’s where I start. I gotta stop letting everyone else’s voices control mine. Make this about what I want. Not what they think I should want.”
A small, genuine smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he met her gaze. ”Thanks, Levi. Didn’t think anyone here would get it like that.”
She smiled back at him, there was something warmer to her smile this time as she nodded. She understood the need to live up to someone else’s expectation whilst also moving away from it. Trying to forge your own path.
”I think, you have to decide what you really want from all this, you know? You’ve heard what other people expect of you or for you, I know good and well that you’ve heard what people think you can’t or won’t be...”[/font] She opened her palms to him, like an expression of weighing up options.
”But what do you want? Who do you wanna be? Find that and focus, if that means leaning into being your fathers son then do it - don’t let trying to be something other, take you away from who you actually are.” Her eyes were steady on his as she spoke. ”I know we’re supposed to be focused on factions and warfare but Zxa, that’s not what either of us are really here for is it? I wanna find my path, you wanna find yours.”
She offered her hand to him now. ”So you keep me focused and I will you, wherever it takes you. Be it under his name or a new one all for you. You can do this, I believe in you.”
Her words struck deeper than Zxavier expected, and for the first time in a while, he felt like he had some clarity. It was so simple, yet it was exactly what he’d been avoiding. Figuring out what he wanted, not just what he thought he should want.
He looked down at her outstretched hand and felt a spark of determination reignite. Maybe she was right. Maybe he’d been so focused on distancing himself from his father’s legacy that he hadn’t even considered who he wanted to be, with or without it.
”Yeah… yeah, you’re right.” He nodded slowly, meeting her gaze with newfound resolve. ”I’ve been so caught up in proving I’m not just his kid that I forgot to figure out who I actually am. Maybe it’s time I stop running from the name and start making it my own, on my terms.”
He reached out, taking her hand with a small but genuine smile. ”Thanks, Levi. I didn’t realize how much I needed this talk.” He squeezed her hand, a silent pact forming between them. ”Alright, let’s do this. I’ll keep you focused, and you do the same for me. Together, we’ll find our own way.”
He let go of her hand, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. ”And who knows? Maybe one day, we’ll both be exactly who we’re meant to be with no shadows and no expectations. Just us.”
She relaxed into a genuine smile, as though some of the weight she had been carrying was lifted as well. She leaned in close with a conspiratorial smirk this time.
”And lucky for you, I can deadlift 450 so if you need me to carry you sometimes, I can.” She was used to her size and her form being something that people were automatically intimidated by. She knew that wouldn’t be the case with him and so poking fun at herself in his presence was her way of showing trust and understanding without having to lay it all out there.
”Bet no one else has ever said that, huh?”
Zxavier chuckled, a real laugh that he hadn’t let out in a while. Her smirk and the easy way she joked about herself made the tension between them feel lighter, like he could actually let down his guard around her.
”Nah, can’t say anyone’s ever offered to carry my sorry self like that,” he replied with a grin. ”But hey, if I’m gonna be carried, might as well be by someone who can deadlift 450, right?”
He shook his head, still smiling. ”I gotta admit, I didn’t expect you to be the one giving me that boost I needed. Guess I was too caught up thinking everyone here was just competition. But you? You get it.”
He nudged her shoulder lightly. ”So don’t think I won’t hold you to that offer. Just… maybe not in front of everyone. I have a reputation to uphold, you know?”
”But if it’s not in front of everyone how will I prove it?”[/font] Her tone was fully playful as she said that before she nodded, thinking over what he said for a moment.
”Honestly, a lot of people don’t get the pressure we’re under, because for them this is their first taste of the industry… so they think loud and wrong is the answer. So let them think it and find out the hard way, right?”[/font]
Zxavier nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. ”Yeah, let them keep making all the noise. They’ll figure it out eventually… or they won’t.”
He held out a fist to her, a quiet determination in his eyes. ”Here’s to keeping our heads down and doing it our way.”
She met his fist with hers, a nod of agreement as she did. She was glad to have reached out, to have made a friend who understood what it was like to have more in this than just some training and a social media account. These were the types of bonds she wanted to make, friendships with people who understood the value of hard work and longevity.
”Leave the smack talk to the slackers and we’ll work our way up from under them. Keep that focus.”
Zxavier nodded, meeting her gaze with a grateful smile. ”Thanks again, Levi. Really… I needed this.”
He glanced toward the ring, then back at her with a spark in his eyes. ”So, you feel like hitting the ropes? Let’s see if you’re ready to soar.”
She laughed in an almost shocked way, shaking her head at him.
”Soar? What about me says high flyer to you?”[/font] Her eyes were wide and a delighted smile crossed her face. The idea of even attempting anything like that was actually laughable to her. ”But! I’ll help you figure out some counters to people trying to keep you grounded.”
Zxavier chuckled, shaking his head with a grin. ”Come on, Levi, don’t knock it till you try it. I could show you a few high-flying moves, get you soaring like an eagle.”
He gave her a playful nudge. ”Just imagine the look on everyone’s face when you pull something unexpected out of the bag. Could be our secret weapon.”