Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2022 15:39:40 GMT -8
Location: The Bardo Coffee House in downtown Denver, Colorado
Date and Time: April 4th, 2022 at 8:00 PM Mountain time
A man walks into the coffee house as though he had been waiting outside for the past few minutes. He didn't carry a lot of momentum with him from wherever he was to here, obviously. Once inside, it's a fairly quiet place, especially considering the locale of downtown Denver. The man looks for a table occupied by a muscular Japanese woman, but ultimately doesn't see one. Instead, he opts to walk up to the counter.
Man: "Hi there, can I get... like, five of those kid's jugs of milk? You know the ones..."
Cashier: "Absolutely, they're in that fridge. Would you like anything else?"
Man: "Uhh, I believe that'll do me."
Cashier: "All righty. Your total is five-fourty-six."
The man pulls out his debit card and pays. Once he's grabbed his five eight-ounce jugs of milk, he sits at the closest table to the front door he can find. The man doesn't lack punctuality, clearly. Dressed in a light blue polo shirt with dark olive slacks and black-n-gold tennis shoes, he looks outside as the sun sets around the Rockies.
Man: "You know, given I'm the visitor, I was expecting to be the late one."
Oh, Logan Bailey, ever the observant one. Bailey waits on his person to show up, which about that: the door opens again, this time a Japanese woman enters. She approaches the counter.
Woman: "I'll take a number-seventeen Tumeric latte, hot. Add two shots of espresso, add coconut milk, and add peppermint."
Cashier: "OK, let me get that written down... you said two shots of espresso?"
Woman: "Yes."
Cashier: "What size?"
Woman: "Sixteen ounce."
Cashier: "All righty, that'll be eight dollars even."
The woman pulls out her billfold, and pays in cash as opposed to debit. She gives the cashier two five-dollar bills.
Woman: "Keep the change."
Cashier: "Oh, thank you! I'll have your order out a-sap."
The woman nods before looking behind her. Eventually, she spots Logan and approaches his table before sitting down. Dressed in a long-sleeved grey shirt, blue jeans and high heels, she looks Logan right in the eye.
Woman: "I almost missed you sitting there."
Logan Bailey: "I could have sat somewhere more obvious..."
Woman: "Eh, no big deal. What was another ten seconds, after all?"
Logan Bailey: "Yeah, that's kinda what I'm sayin'."
Bailey chuckles a bit, but the woman doesn't play along. She's a lot more business-y than Logan.
Logan Bailey: "Tough crowd..."
Woman: "The toughest. You know what I'm about, Logan."
Logan Bailey: "Yeah... yeah, you right, Katelin."
It's not hard to discern Logan's talking with Katelin Descarrilado. Her sheer presence is enough for some to instantly recognize her. Some would run, others would stand in awe... but Logan decided to say "hey, I know you from high school!"
Katelin Descarrilado: "So... let's cut to the chase..."
Logan Bailey: "After you moved here, I missed the hell out of you."
Katelin Descarrilado: "As you told me on Twitter."
Logan Bailey: "I mean, when you're the one girlfriend I had back then, it's true. I didn't have another until a couple years ago... ironically with someone else named Katelyn with a Y for a cup of coffee."
Descarrilado's expression finally changes from neutral to a bit of shock and realization.
Katelin Descarrilado: "...that is ironic, but... really?"
Logan Bailey: "Yeah, you and I were an item. The only reason we aren't now is because you moved from Knoxville to Denver. But god, it broke my heart when my teacher told me "she moved away, Logan. She moved to Denver." Like, those two sentences are still burned in my head."
Descarrilado's eyes widen, seemingly accepting of the man in front of her as who he says he is.
Katelin Descarrilado: "...you're that Logan, all right."
Logan Bailey: "I wouldn't lie to you about this, Katelin. I wanna understand why you moved. You didn't seem to hate Knoxville."
Katelin Descarrilado: "And I didn't, either. To... to be honest, I don't have much of an explanation for you. It's as lost to me as it is to everyone else not named Fukuhara Eichi or Fukuhara Akina."
There's a brief pause.
Logan Bailey: "So it... it just... it just happened one day?"
Katelin Descarrilado: "Believe what you want, but as far as I know, yes. I tried to dig deeper once I was at Colorado Mines, because this whole thing had crossed my mind. I just wanted to see what program was in place or why the system was so convoluted... and I didn't find anything. Initially, I thought there was some kind of transfer program this country had in place, but then why would I move from state to state instead of just from school district to school district? That didn't make sense. I honestly just think my parents moved me on a whim and settled on Denver because Colorado's historically more accepting of people like me than Tennessee is. The south has those stereotypes for a reason, you know?"
Logan Bailey: "I know, but... that feels so anti-climactic. Like, I was expecting..."
Bailey chokes on his words a little.
Logan Bailey: "I don't--I don't... I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't "I don't know either."
Katelin Descarrilado: "I wish I had more answers for you about this, but that's genuinely all I know. I'm probably not going to get any more answers, either. My parents are very secretive about the whole thing no matter how hard I press them about it."
Bailey shakes his head a bit in complete disbelief.
Logan Bailey: "I'm sorry..."
Descarrilado nods a bit closing her eyes, almost in agreeance.
Katelin Descarrilado: "Me too..."
The two get up and exchange an honest-to-God hug.
Katelin Descarrilado: "I know it wasn't supposed to be like this, Logan. Even with a decade of hindsight and research... I'm just as confused as you are about it. But sometimes, you're not gonna get the answers you seek no matter how much it bugs you, or eats away at you, or how hard you look. Sometimes all you're left with is nothing but what could have been."
There's a beat of silence as the two hold the hug.
Logan Bailey: "We're basically in the exact same spot in that regard, huh?"
Katelin Descarrilado: "And there's nothing more we can do given the hands we currently have dealt to us."
There's another beat of silence as the two continue to embrace.
Logan Bailey: "I've missed your hugs. They've not changed a single bit."
Katelin Descarrilado: "Neither have yours, hon."
Descarrilado pats Bailey's back before releasing her arms. This prompts Bailey to do the same before the two sit back down.
Katelin Descarrilado: "But think about all of it this way, Logan: we're both happily married. We're all doing fairly well in our lives. Much as her and I don't like each other, your wife is a badass. I do genuinely hope she wins that Zion title she's chasing. I'm not gonna show anyone that publicly, I've got a reputation to uphold, but privately? I... as in Haruka? I'm pulling for you two. You two are so... so happy together. And I'm happy for you for it. Knowing what you were line in high school, you deserve someone like Faye."
Logan Bailey: "I appreciate that, Kate-- uh, Haruka. Really, I do, and I'm sure Faye would too. I know how hard it is to get any of this out of you these days."
Katelin Descarrilado: "I'd say you deserve it, given we kind of share this whole situation together."
The cashier from earlier walks up to the table Logan and Katelin occupy with Katelin's latte.
Cashier: "Here you are, ma'am."
Katelin Descarrilado: "Oh, thank you."
Descarrilado sips at her latte before sitting it to the side and looking back to Logan.
Katelin Descarrilado: "They know my drink at this point. Did you get anything?"
Logan Bailey: "I got five of these kids-sized milks. I'm a thirsty boyo."
Descarrilado chuckles a little as Bailey opens one of his milk jugs.
Katelin Descarrilado: "I don't know how you managed it, but you've changed a lot since high school... and you've not changed since high school. At the same time."
Logan Bailey: "I'm just me, Ka--Haruka. Gonna have to catch myself on that from now on."
Katelin Descarrilado: "You knew me as Katelin for ten years, Logan, don't feel the need to call me anything different just because you know my real name. Call me what you're comfortable calling me."
Logan Bailey: "Noted."
Katelin Descarrilado: "But anyway... it's good that you've stayed true to yourself after all this time. It's even better that people that you'd think are higher up on whatever food chain there is than you are accept you for you, through thick and thin. I'm to a point in my life and career that I can't afford that same luxury."
Logan Bailey: "We're not even thirty yet, Katelin. You're twenty-eight, I'm twenty-nine... there's plenty of time for you to be able to afford it. Maybe not right now, but when that time does come, and I believe it will? I'll have believed in you the whole way."
A brief pause as Katelin just slowly nods with a lip quivering a little.
Katelin Descarrilado: "Th--thank you, Logan. That's... something I've needed to hear recently. I'll drink to it."
Descarrilado and Bailey drink their respective beverages.
Logan Bailey: "I'm sure Tren would tell you the same thing. You two are a lot alike, after all. You just go about things differently. He's loud and aggressive, you're quiet and calculating, but neither of you are afraid of anyone or anything. And both of you are successful for it. You two are happy with one another, and that's-that's fantastic. It is."
Bailey takes another sip of his milk, finishing the jug.
Logan Bailey: "And I hope you get out of your professional rut soon. It's hard when you basically bet on yourself, only to not see the returns you're expecting. It's hard when your significant other is or is gonna be a world champion before you. Hell, that's my situation with Faye. Double hell, I'm a fan of someone else going through the same deal somewhere else right now, and it... it sucks watching them be stuck on secondary shows when you know they're better than that. Only difference is I can tell you that and hope it helps you out somehow. I can't do that for them, and it makes me feel helpless... but something tells me you needed it more than they do."
Descarrilado nods again, pursing her red lips before letting another chuckle escape.
Katelin Descarrilado: "You always know what to say, don't you?"
Logan Bailey: "My wife thinks I could be a poet, so... I kinda have to."
The two chuckle at Logan's joke.
Logan Bailey: "But seriously... you're so much better than you... as in Haruka, think you are. You're a better wrestler, and a better person than you think right now. Just don't let it get to your head... I have a feeling that's what happened with the Genesis title."
Katelin Descarrilado: "It was. I regret it. I wanted too much too soon, and I've been paying for that ever since. Honestly, I think I'm still paying for it. And I think that's part of this whole rut."
One last nod.
Katelin Descarrilado: "Thank you. Genuinely, thank you, Logan. I wasn't sure how any of this was gonna go, but I'm glad it went the way it did..."
Logan Bailey: "Same here... I was worried when you told me don't be surprised if it doesn't go the way I wanted... but here we are."
Katelin Descarrilado: "I was just saying that, Logan. Again, I have a reputation to uphold."
Logan Bailey: "I get that. So do I, honestly. I'm glad we've reconnected, though. Something about this just feels right, you know?"
Katelin Descarrilado: "I getcha. And yeah, this feels right."
Bailey gets up from his chair, grabbing his four remaining milk jugs in his arms. He goes to leave, but gets caught by Katelin's arm.
Logan Bailey: "Uh..."
Katelin Descarrilado: "Don't tell anyone about how this truly went. If anyone asks, just say "it went fine." No details."
Logan Bailey: "Uhh... O--OK?"
Katelin Descarrilado: "Remember: reputation. But before you go, back up and sit your milk down..."
Without a word, Logan backs up and sits his milk jugs down. Katelin stands up from her chair and hugs him again, and Bailey responds in kind.
Katelin Descarrilado: "I just wanted one more. Because barring wild and terrible circumstances? We're likely never doing this again."
Logan Bailey: "I understand... and I'm gonna miss this all over again, you know?"
Katelin Descarrilado: "I know... same."
The two release their hug again before Logan picks his milk back up. Katelin gives Logan a smile.
Katelin Descarrilado: "See you at work."
Logan smiles right back.
Logan Bailey: "Ditto, Katelin."
With that, Logan leaves the coffee house, leaving Katelin to finish her latte.
Date and Time: April 4th, 2022 at 8:00 PM Mountain time
A man walks into the coffee house as though he had been waiting outside for the past few minutes. He didn't carry a lot of momentum with him from wherever he was to here, obviously. Once inside, it's a fairly quiet place, especially considering the locale of downtown Denver. The man looks for a table occupied by a muscular Japanese woman, but ultimately doesn't see one. Instead, he opts to walk up to the counter.
Man: "Hi there, can I get... like, five of those kid's jugs of milk? You know the ones..."
Cashier: "Absolutely, they're in that fridge. Would you like anything else?"
Man: "Uhh, I believe that'll do me."
Cashier: "All righty. Your total is five-fourty-six."
The man pulls out his debit card and pays. Once he's grabbed his five eight-ounce jugs of milk, he sits at the closest table to the front door he can find. The man doesn't lack punctuality, clearly. Dressed in a light blue polo shirt with dark olive slacks and black-n-gold tennis shoes, he looks outside as the sun sets around the Rockies.
Man: "You know, given I'm the visitor, I was expecting to be the late one."
Oh, Logan Bailey, ever the observant one. Bailey waits on his person to show up, which about that: the door opens again, this time a Japanese woman enters. She approaches the counter.
Woman: "I'll take a number-seventeen Tumeric latte, hot. Add two shots of espresso, add coconut milk, and add peppermint."
Cashier: "OK, let me get that written down... you said two shots of espresso?"
Woman: "Yes."
Cashier: "What size?"
Woman: "Sixteen ounce."
Cashier: "All righty, that'll be eight dollars even."
The woman pulls out her billfold, and pays in cash as opposed to debit. She gives the cashier two five-dollar bills.
Woman: "Keep the change."
Cashier: "Oh, thank you! I'll have your order out a-sap."
The woman nods before looking behind her. Eventually, she spots Logan and approaches his table before sitting down. Dressed in a long-sleeved grey shirt, blue jeans and high heels, she looks Logan right in the eye.
Woman: "I almost missed you sitting there."
Logan Bailey: "I could have sat somewhere more obvious..."
Woman: "Eh, no big deal. What was another ten seconds, after all?"
Logan Bailey: "Yeah, that's kinda what I'm sayin'."
Bailey chuckles a bit, but the woman doesn't play along. She's a lot more business-y than Logan.
Logan Bailey: "Tough crowd..."
Woman: "The toughest. You know what I'm about, Logan."
Logan Bailey: "Yeah... yeah, you right, Katelin."
It's not hard to discern Logan's talking with Katelin Descarrilado. Her sheer presence is enough for some to instantly recognize her. Some would run, others would stand in awe... but Logan decided to say "hey, I know you from high school!"
Katelin Descarrilado: "So... let's cut to the chase..."
Logan Bailey: "After you moved here, I missed the hell out of you."
Katelin Descarrilado: "As you told me on Twitter."
Logan Bailey: "I mean, when you're the one girlfriend I had back then, it's true. I didn't have another until a couple years ago... ironically with someone else named Katelyn with a Y for a cup of coffee."
Descarrilado's expression finally changes from neutral to a bit of shock and realization.
Katelin Descarrilado: "...that is ironic, but... really?"
Logan Bailey: "Yeah, you and I were an item. The only reason we aren't now is because you moved from Knoxville to Denver. But god, it broke my heart when my teacher told me "she moved away, Logan. She moved to Denver." Like, those two sentences are still burned in my head."
Descarrilado's eyes widen, seemingly accepting of the man in front of her as who he says he is.
Katelin Descarrilado: "...you're that Logan, all right."
Logan Bailey: "I wouldn't lie to you about this, Katelin. I wanna understand why you moved. You didn't seem to hate Knoxville."
Katelin Descarrilado: "And I didn't, either. To... to be honest, I don't have much of an explanation for you. It's as lost to me as it is to everyone else not named Fukuhara Eichi or Fukuhara Akina."
There's a brief pause.
Logan Bailey: "So it... it just... it just happened one day?"
Katelin Descarrilado: "Believe what you want, but as far as I know, yes. I tried to dig deeper once I was at Colorado Mines, because this whole thing had crossed my mind. I just wanted to see what program was in place or why the system was so convoluted... and I didn't find anything. Initially, I thought there was some kind of transfer program this country had in place, but then why would I move from state to state instead of just from school district to school district? That didn't make sense. I honestly just think my parents moved me on a whim and settled on Denver because Colorado's historically more accepting of people like me than Tennessee is. The south has those stereotypes for a reason, you know?"
Logan Bailey: "I know, but... that feels so anti-climactic. Like, I was expecting..."
Bailey chokes on his words a little.
Logan Bailey: "I don't--I don't... I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't "I don't know either."
Katelin Descarrilado: "I wish I had more answers for you about this, but that's genuinely all I know. I'm probably not going to get any more answers, either. My parents are very secretive about the whole thing no matter how hard I press them about it."
Bailey shakes his head a bit in complete disbelief.
Logan Bailey: "I'm sorry..."
Descarrilado nods a bit closing her eyes, almost in agreeance.
Katelin Descarrilado: "Me too..."
The two get up and exchange an honest-to-God hug.
Katelin Descarrilado: "I know it wasn't supposed to be like this, Logan. Even with a decade of hindsight and research... I'm just as confused as you are about it. But sometimes, you're not gonna get the answers you seek no matter how much it bugs you, or eats away at you, or how hard you look. Sometimes all you're left with is nothing but what could have been."
There's a beat of silence as the two hold the hug.
Logan Bailey: "We're basically in the exact same spot in that regard, huh?"
Katelin Descarrilado: "And there's nothing more we can do given the hands we currently have dealt to us."
There's another beat of silence as the two continue to embrace.
Logan Bailey: "I've missed your hugs. They've not changed a single bit."
Katelin Descarrilado: "Neither have yours, hon."
Descarrilado pats Bailey's back before releasing her arms. This prompts Bailey to do the same before the two sit back down.
Katelin Descarrilado: "But think about all of it this way, Logan: we're both happily married. We're all doing fairly well in our lives. Much as her and I don't like each other, your wife is a badass. I do genuinely hope she wins that Zion title she's chasing. I'm not gonna show anyone that publicly, I've got a reputation to uphold, but privately? I... as in Haruka? I'm pulling for you two. You two are so... so happy together. And I'm happy for you for it. Knowing what you were line in high school, you deserve someone like Faye."
Logan Bailey: "I appreciate that, Kate-- uh, Haruka. Really, I do, and I'm sure Faye would too. I know how hard it is to get any of this out of you these days."
Katelin Descarrilado: "I'd say you deserve it, given we kind of share this whole situation together."
The cashier from earlier walks up to the table Logan and Katelin occupy with Katelin's latte.
Cashier: "Here you are, ma'am."
Katelin Descarrilado: "Oh, thank you."
Descarrilado sips at her latte before sitting it to the side and looking back to Logan.
Katelin Descarrilado: "They know my drink at this point. Did you get anything?"
Logan Bailey: "I got five of these kids-sized milks. I'm a thirsty boyo."
Descarrilado chuckles a little as Bailey opens one of his milk jugs.
Katelin Descarrilado: "I don't know how you managed it, but you've changed a lot since high school... and you've not changed since high school. At the same time."
Logan Bailey: "I'm just me, Ka--Haruka. Gonna have to catch myself on that from now on."
Katelin Descarrilado: "You knew me as Katelin for ten years, Logan, don't feel the need to call me anything different just because you know my real name. Call me what you're comfortable calling me."
Logan Bailey: "Noted."
Katelin Descarrilado: "But anyway... it's good that you've stayed true to yourself after all this time. It's even better that people that you'd think are higher up on whatever food chain there is than you are accept you for you, through thick and thin. I'm to a point in my life and career that I can't afford that same luxury."
Logan Bailey: "We're not even thirty yet, Katelin. You're twenty-eight, I'm twenty-nine... there's plenty of time for you to be able to afford it. Maybe not right now, but when that time does come, and I believe it will? I'll have believed in you the whole way."
A brief pause as Katelin just slowly nods with a lip quivering a little.
Katelin Descarrilado: "Th--thank you, Logan. That's... something I've needed to hear recently. I'll drink to it."
Descarrilado and Bailey drink their respective beverages.
Logan Bailey: "I'm sure Tren would tell you the same thing. You two are a lot alike, after all. You just go about things differently. He's loud and aggressive, you're quiet and calculating, but neither of you are afraid of anyone or anything. And both of you are successful for it. You two are happy with one another, and that's-that's fantastic. It is."
Bailey takes another sip of his milk, finishing the jug.
Logan Bailey: "And I hope you get out of your professional rut soon. It's hard when you basically bet on yourself, only to not see the returns you're expecting. It's hard when your significant other is or is gonna be a world champion before you. Hell, that's my situation with Faye. Double hell, I'm a fan of someone else going through the same deal somewhere else right now, and it... it sucks watching them be stuck on secondary shows when you know they're better than that. Only difference is I can tell you that and hope it helps you out somehow. I can't do that for them, and it makes me feel helpless... but something tells me you needed it more than they do."
Descarrilado nods again, pursing her red lips before letting another chuckle escape.
Katelin Descarrilado: "You always know what to say, don't you?"
Logan Bailey: "My wife thinks I could be a poet, so... I kinda have to."
The two chuckle at Logan's joke.
Logan Bailey: "But seriously... you're so much better than you... as in Haruka, think you are. You're a better wrestler, and a better person than you think right now. Just don't let it get to your head... I have a feeling that's what happened with the Genesis title."
Katelin Descarrilado: "It was. I regret it. I wanted too much too soon, and I've been paying for that ever since. Honestly, I think I'm still paying for it. And I think that's part of this whole rut."
One last nod.
Katelin Descarrilado: "Thank you. Genuinely, thank you, Logan. I wasn't sure how any of this was gonna go, but I'm glad it went the way it did..."
Logan Bailey: "Same here... I was worried when you told me don't be surprised if it doesn't go the way I wanted... but here we are."
Katelin Descarrilado: "I was just saying that, Logan. Again, I have a reputation to uphold."
Logan Bailey: "I get that. So do I, honestly. I'm glad we've reconnected, though. Something about this just feels right, you know?"
Katelin Descarrilado: "I getcha. And yeah, this feels right."
Bailey gets up from his chair, grabbing his four remaining milk jugs in his arms. He goes to leave, but gets caught by Katelin's arm.
Logan Bailey: "Uh..."
Katelin Descarrilado: "Don't tell anyone about how this truly went. If anyone asks, just say "it went fine." No details."
Logan Bailey: "Uhh... O--OK?"
Katelin Descarrilado: "Remember: reputation. But before you go, back up and sit your milk down..."
Without a word, Logan backs up and sits his milk jugs down. Katelin stands up from her chair and hugs him again, and Bailey responds in kind.
Katelin Descarrilado: "I just wanted one more. Because barring wild and terrible circumstances? We're likely never doing this again."
Logan Bailey: "I understand... and I'm gonna miss this all over again, you know?"
Katelin Descarrilado: "I know... same."
The two release their hug again before Logan picks his milk back up. Katelin gives Logan a smile.
Katelin Descarrilado: "See you at work."
Logan smiles right back.
Logan Bailey: "Ditto, Katelin."
With that, Logan leaves the coffee house, leaving Katelin to finish her latte.
