adriennescomingbacktolife

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

           There it was.    The Baltimore City Championship. Resplendent in all of its glory. The golden plates shimmered in the overhead lighting. Encased in glass, it rested on a dark red velvet pillow.    Adrienne Levi shared that bright spotlight. She would be one of the women competing for the honor of representing Carnage Wrestling and its home city at the 100th edition of Chaos. Sitting in a chair, elevated far off the ground, she adjusted a mic clip to the collar of her logo t-shirt.    Looking at the camera, she smiled and asked, “We on?”    The red recording light on the camera answered that question for her. Adrienne exhaled sharply as she considered her words. Here she was, on stage, speaking to an opportunity that rarely comes. Earned through unorthodox means. Against an adversary that had been her partner for the last month.    “I haven’t talked about this much,” Adrienne said as she gestured to the championship on her right, “and to tell the truth, it’s because I didn’t totally believe that this would happen. Everyone has been so gracious in their assessments. That I deserve this. That I’ve come a long way.”    Smiling graciously, she cast a small glance towards the case.    “Thank you.”    Steepling her hands in her lap, Adrienne leaned forward.    “These past few weeks have been challenging. Losing stinks but that isn’t what this is about. I’m not the sort of girl who dwells on one bad night at work.”    Thinking back to former champion Eli Goode, he became more and more unhinged with every defeat. His delusion grew as he talked about which championships mattered and didn’t. It had consumed him.    And everyone now seemed to be an enemy to him. Things that had never been said by her were attributed to her without a second thought.    Nervous to admit, Adrienne saw a strange parallel emerging in her current circumstances.    “No, that isn’t it. I told you all right away. I’m not new to this industry. I don’t have the accolades or credibility of all of you, but that’s okay. Everything I’ve earned has been right here this year. But prior to Carnage, I was,” Adrienne paused, reaching behind her to retrieve a folded up photograph. Carefully, she opened it. For just a second, her eyes narrowed, and her expression could be construed as contempt. She turned the photo forward before continuing. “This was me.”    Adrienne was certainly right in the corner, but this was the “first autograph” she had shared earlier this summer. Someone else was featured prominently: “Magnificent” Danny Levi.    “Well, Danny and me.”    She tossed it aside, and the piece of bent up glossy paper floated down onto the wooden stage.    “You can draw your own conclusions here. Or if you want to, go on to YouTube and look up Danny Levi’s Greatest Hits. I’ve given up trying to remove the compilation of every time he struck me. Clearly, people enjoy watching it more than anything else he ever did. And as you all know, he’s gone.”    This had been no real secret. It’s just something she didn’t want to talk about much. Recent events had forced her hand.    Softer this time, she said, “He’s gone.”        That night was not Adrienne’s best effort. She had been a non factor against Axton Gunn and Sebastian Hawke. Leaving The Dragon Lady to twist in the wind. And in the end, they had lost.    Not that she really cared. Uncharastically, Adrienne left the show early. Within twenty minutes, she was back at Kohaku’s apartment, slowly emptying an unwieldy three-liter jug of zinfandel. Getting on Twitter, she poured out her guts and then logged off. Should have probably not pressed Send on those. Setting down her glass, she hiccuped. Feeling queasy, she realized this was a poor idea. However, it was the only thing she could do to take off the edge.    Everything piled up, and anyone who she thought would understand - was possibly part of the problem. Or reminded her.    The fox had held to his word. Phone number no longer worked. He was long gone. All that was left was that confusing book. Something she couldn’t even wrap her mind around with the rockstar around.    Axton Gunn had upset the apple cart.    It wasn’t him exactly, it was --    There was a sharp knock at the door.    Adrienne tried to remember if she had ordered delivery. Or if it was just one of those “wine and me” sort of evenings.        But before she could get off from the couch, the door opened. She sat there, dumbfounded, as Danny Levi sauntered through the doorway. He had cleaned up nice. Always valued a nice fitting suit.    Giving her a little wave, he smiled, “Surprised, aren’t you?”    “How?”    Raising an eyebrow, he pointed to the wine with an appraising look. “What do you think, Ade?”    Waltzing into the kitchen, he opened the fridge.    Disappointed, he called back out to her. Adrienne hadn’t left the couch as she stared at the still open door, “You aren’t a very generous host, are you? I could go for a nice porterhouse right now.”    Danny entered the living room. Nonchalantly, he plopped down on the couch next to his wife.    “I mean if I weren’t wormfood.” Laughing incredulously, he placed a warm hand on Adrienne’s shoulder. She closed her eyes. His exclamation pierced her mind with ease, “Goddamn. You can’t even look at your old man?”    “Cuz, you aren’t real.”    With deep, slow breathing, she tried to refocus on the night she had been having prior.    “Of course, I’m not real, you dumb bitch. So, just look at me.”    Danny’s arm shot forward, grasping her jaw and twisting her head towards him. He spoke low, hissing through his teeth, “Look. At. Me.”    Adrienne’s slowly opened her eyes. Danny Levi smiled that crooked grin. On closer inspection, his skin was pallid, and he looked like he hadn’t rested for a long long time.    “Good girl.”    He let go. Danny eyed the contents of the coffee table, besides the wine that is. Adrienne had been signing a stack of autographs to mail out in the next few days.    “Doing alright for yourself, aren’t you?” He said insincerely. Grabbing one up, he eyed up the promo photo. It was one in her new full bodysuit. She smiled at the camera, fists balled up, and ready to right. Her looping signature was bold and elegant. “What the fuck are you even wearing here?”    “I like it.”    “Nobody cares what you like.” Chuckling, he moved on, tossing the photo back on the pile. “You remember the good old days? That little blue dress. The first few rows would always try to see up your skirt. Don’t blame them; you were a good piece of ass, Ade.”    Danny pantomimed a chef’s kiss. Adrienne looked back towards the door, and she could have sworn he had left it open as he strolled in.    “Be serious. This is just the worst of who I was. How you choose to remember me, right? We haven’t talked in so long. I know you said goodbye. Disposed of me like garbage. Tossed away that ring of yours into the drink. Moved far, far away. And promised that you’d never think of me again.”    Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, Danny drew her in. He smelled of decay.    “But thanks to Axxxxxton,” sarcastically, he exaggerated his name in a manner she was familiar with, “I found you.”    “Wasn’t his fault.”    “I know, I know. Could have been anyone. Fitting it was that piece of Cali trash. Remember the time when I tore up that special poster. Signed just for you, and you wouldn’t shut the fuck up about it. Moped around for days until I set you straight.”    Danny messed her hair up with an affectionate nuzzle.    “You always come around eventually.”    Adrienne swallowed hard. His imagined touch repulsed him. This past summer, she had seen and heard things she couldn’t begin to explain. And here was another one. But she knew he was gone. She saw the light leave his eyes.    “Side effects of becoming a drunk, I suppose. See, you can run away from mommy, but I’ll always be inside you. Like a parasite, Adrienne.”    Abruptly pushing her away, he then stood up.    “Anything to say for yourself?”    Staring at the ground, Adrienne mumbled to herself, “What’s the point?”    “None really,” he concluded, “I just wanted to see if you had it in you. Here’s your chance. You’re the hero of the story, and I’m the villain. Look at me with all of my flaws, and you’d see I ended up being a truly despicable person. And here you are. You know the truth, you’re right down in the hole with me. You are moldering beside me. You keep manifesting these ways out, but fuck, none of them are real.”    Danny started to take off his suit jacket, folding it neatly on a chair next to the couch.    “So, maybe I should stick around. Perhaps every night, when you’re all by your lonesome, I’ll drop by. We can reminisce about all of the bad times. Maybe you throw me a fuck for old time’s sake. Maybe Fairman takes a break from his eternal rest, and you swallow him whole. As awful as I was, I was always a generous man. You gotta give me that.”    She shook her head, unsteadily. He sat down in the chair. Unzipping his fly, Danny signaled to her with a disingenuous suggestive tone.    “Danny’s had a long day, Ade. Why don’t you--”    Her phone chimed. It startled her, but it also made her realize that she was alone in the literal sense. Gathering her scruples, Adrienne clicked on the notification.    A brief, direct message from Matt Knox. Yo. kidYou're lovedSee you at 100        “I’m just trying to start over.”    Adrienne recalled the conversation she had with Amber last month. Ultimately, she just wanted to prove Danny wrong. She never considered that she’d become so attached to the people here to the point where she would quit an unsatisfying but secure job. Or running away from her family like she were some wronged teenager.    “It hasn’t been smoothest road. But this shot represents something I’ve never had. I’ve always stood in someone else’s shadow. And while I’m not that impressive compared to others, I’ve worked hard to get better.”    She paused, giving the belt another look. Who wouldn’t fantasize about that moment? She would bask in the glow of victory, holding that championship high.    “I deserve this.”    That statement hung in the air. It was something that many have said. Depending on who, it always took on a different feel.    “But not more so than The Dragon Lady.”    Adrienne wanted to give this woman her utmost attention. It was time.    “I guess I’d like to apologize to you formally about the last match. My head wasn’t in the game, and it cost us against a unit that had something to prove. To some, that makes things interesting. Personally, It hasn’t changed much. This was going to happen either way. The next Baltimore City Champion will be one of us.” Adrienne chuckled briefly, “Is that enough sports cliches for you?”    She steeled her resolve. Adrienne always found these next moments difficult, and after Axton, she was perhaps more reluctant than ever.    “We’ve spent a lot of time together. Trained. Ate together. I even met your manager.”    Mameha was impressive. She enjoyed her company, and the excellent tea certainly helped.    “But we always knew that everything led to 100. That every action would be measured. These past few times, I guarantee we’ve studied each other just as much as our opponents. I know my weaknesses. I know that I can’t match your skill or ability. I don’t possess the knowledge you have when it comes to a good fight. But that’s the thing.”    She paused, emoting that this was a realization for the audience to hear.    “I don’t need to. I just need to be me. I know this will be the most challenging match of my life. You aren’t some cartoon villain like Grant or Winter. You’re not lashing out at shadows like Eli Goode. You’re one of the most formidable opponents I’ll ever step into the ring with. Some of your decisions have perplexed others. You gave up an opportunity for the Chaos title to roll in the mud with Alex Winter. It’s not hard to see why.”    Adrienne thought back briefly to Winter. Nobody seemed to be learning the nature of this guy. Every action creates a reaction. Whoever chose to accost Alex has only made it worse.    “He gets under your skin. And by hook or crook, he humiliated you. I think we were fortunate against the likes of Goode and Matthews. Your attention seemed to be on Alex Winter that evening.” She raised her pointer finger in the air as to qualify her statement, “This isn’t to say that you can’t walk and chew gum at the same time but could have been a different story if Goode or Matthews were actually on the same page.”    And that brought her to their most recent outing.    “And while I was far from my best against Gunn and Hawke, I would be remiss if they didn’t get credit for their outstanding teamwork. Their game plan was simple.”    Taking a moment, she leaned forward.    “You.”    And she hated to admit that, but the strategy was plain as day.    “At first, I considered this to be an exhibition of sorts. I had my apprehensions about Axton Gunn. I’ve explained it enough. Sebastian was a little abrasive at first, so it was strange to hear such shining praise from his lips. But I think what you did only served to put a fire under them. It gave them the motivation to work together and wipe away that initial sting of defeat. I still don’t know either of them very well. Axton, sure. He’s a big deal. But personally?” Adrienne shook her head. “So I would hope that this championship is your focus this week.”    The camera panned out slightly to put Adrienne and the title in the shot.    “Because I wouldn’t be a student of the game if I didn’t take advantage. I want to become champion. I’m not sure if I can say it any better. I’m not like the Jack Michaels of old. I’m not Mitch. Or Silvio. Or anyone else for that matter. I just know that it’d mean a lot to represent this company. A company that, despite whatever issues linger, gave me a chance. It would mean everything for me to represent a city and a community that has welcomed me with open arms.”    Shrugging her shoulders, she concluded, “I guess it would make me happy.”    Adrienne shared a little smile. Not a lot to smile about recently. But again, that little fantasy took root. It would be awful nice. She had a guest coming, and with every passing conversation with Sylvia, she thought it would be cool if she saw her win that title. Retrieving a little slip of paper from her jeans pockets, she read it to herself.    “I’ve been thinking about this a lot. The Dragon Lady probably knows what this is or at least whose handwriting this is.” Tapping a finger against the note, she said, “She’s right. Just a few months ago, I was huffing and puffing my way through my debut against Starburst. And before that, my life was just passing me by because I don’t think I understood who I am. Who I could be. I’m not sure I should be so definite here, but these chances like this don’t come often. I have to seize this opportunity. It won’t come easy. But this right here is my story, my life, and yeah, this might be my only chance for it. I’m choosing to rise and become a champion this city can be proud of.”    Tucking the note back away, she then slid off the chair onto her feet. She didn’t fall on her face on camera, fortunately.    “I hope that’s okay with you. But either way, that’s who I am. A champion in the making. The future. Whatever else others want to say.”    Danny Levi’s specter remained, and so maybe it didn’t have to be one thing or other. Adrienne could fall in love with this business, and at the same time, she could take everything he had ever had. His claim to fame. His success. And more…    Adrienne Levi’s mouth twisted in a slightly mischievous smile. Knowing she could get away with this, and it would infuriate him.    “Maybe at the end of the night, you’ll just call me Magnificent.”

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

Diners, Drive ins, and Tope Suicidas

WRITTEN WITH JESS, KNOX, AND MIA

The Silver Moon diner was a different animal in the daytime. Free of neon lights, it was just a block of reflective chrome and baby blue. The sunlight would be glimmering from its surface, had it not been blotted out by the gray Baltimore skies. The parking lot itself was empty, save for a rather conspicuous black 1972 Jaguar XJ12 with California plates. Inside the place was empty. Behind the counter an older gentleman was counting a stack of bills for what would have been the dozenth time. The large man had come in and paid a full day’s worth of sales for him to close up, except for a short guest list during the lunch rush. And he meant pre-pandemic sales. At a booth, Matthew Knox sat with his eyes half closed, contemplative and quiet. In front of him, a glass of iced tea and a half devoured reuben sandwich. Mia had never been one for fancy cars. In fact, if she had always had a knack for picking out old Subaru station wagons and making them her own. Her current incarnation, a midnight blue, four door, comes to a stop in one of the corners of the diner’s parking lot. She eyed the Jaguar curiously, but disregarded it, it wasn’t anything that she wanted to contend with. The fancier the car, the more that could go wrong with it. She stays seated, puffing on her e-cig and blowing the air out, watching it disperse within the confines of her car. She felt her heart beating through her chest, it wasn’t everyday that you met people to try and befriend, half of which didn’t have the best of pasts with. Getting out Mia takes another hit, pacing for several seconds before exhaling. Marching to the front of the building, Mia glances sidelong through the glass and only sees Matt Knox waiting patiently by himself. Breathing a sigh of relief that she didn’t have to go in and be on her heels already, Mia takes one last deep breath off her e-cig and savors it before exhaling and entering the building after putting her mask on. Upon entering, Mia is met with the smells and sounds associated with a small hole in the wall diner. The sights, sounds, and smells that always carries the promise of amazing home cooked food and amazing pie to follow. Nostalgia takes hold of Mia briefly but she shakes it away with a shudder. Now wasn’t the time to go down those particular rabbit holes. Walking silently up to Knox’s table, she slides quietly opposite him, taking the same paper bag out and putting it on the table next to the window. Eyeing Knox, she nods in greeting before saying, “Was going to apologize for running late, but it looks like I’m right on time.” Matthew responds with a small smile, and nod. He rubs his face, which upon closer inspection shows all the telltale signs of having not slept. His right arm is in a cast which has been heavily doodled upon, and his hair is pulled back in a loose ponytail. “They’ll get here soon, i’m sure of it. Unless Adrienne has tripped and fallen down a manhole somewhere.” He pays his own joke a small chuckle, and Mia smiles slightly, awkwardly. She realizes in that moment that up until now, she had never really reached out to get to know people outside of The Forsaken. What exactly was she doing? She blinks at Knox, unsure how to proceed but then realizes the effects of her THC pen were starting to take hold and her stomach grumbles unhappily. Oh yeah, it had been a little bit before she ate. “So… What’s good here?” “The Key Lime pie is like a sexual experience. Everything else is wonderfully greasy, and unhealthy. I’d go with whatever your trainer told you never to eat again.” He smiles friendlily at this, leaning back into the booth and taking a drink of his iced tea, “I’d like to come here after smoking a bit of California green, but then I'd never fit back into my ring pants.” Hearing the mention of the green stuff, Mia relaxes a bit. Former smoker or not, it has been Mia’s experience that anyone who smoked pot was a person that could be trusted. Looking over at a nearby menu, Mia orders some hash browns, covered in cheese, onion, and ham, with a grilled cheese with dill pickles on it. A vanilla shake with a glass of water completes the order, but her eye never leaves the case filled with various pies. Presently, a sleek, jet black Dodge Challenger pulled into the Silver Moon’s parking lot. It was pristine, the sun glinting off the curves. It also had a small green sticker with a stylized white ‘E’ affixed to the back. The bell on the door rang as Mitch Heart strode in, shooting off a text as he walked before flopping unceremoniously into the booth. “Hey, Knox. Hey, A--” His gaze shot up, eyeing the unfamiliar- to him, anyway- woman across the table, his head swivelling to the older man with a raised brow. His body seemed to tense somewhat, losing the relaxed demeanor it had before. “...Knox? Thought it was just gonna be you, me, and Ade.” Obviously this was the Mitch Heart Knox had been talking about. Mia looks him up and down while taking a drink, setting down her glass and washing it down with a swig from her milkshake. She smiles politely after wiping her mouth off and stands, offering her hand to Mitch in the process. “The name is Mia. I uhm… Come in peace?” “She’s good people, Mitch. Comes in peace, bearing gifts,” He waves a hand “I wouldn’t have brought her here if I thought it was shady. Had to be semi secretive because..well. Ade DDT’d her last time they saw each other. But after she says her piece, it’ll just be the three of us. Swear.” Mia takes her seat again and pulls her shake close to her, taking another swig and savoring the sweetness. “Speaking of… Where’s the last member of this wonderful party of ours?” A hooded figure on a beat up 10 speed cruised by slowly. That person had taken a few moments trying to secure a chain around the frame and a nearby light pole. That person was Adrienne. She stuck out like a sore thumb with knock off Jackie O’s, hoodie, and leggings. Entering the diner, she had seemed to come right into some tense standoff with the expected company and someone she had only met in a tense and physical encounter a few months back. Keeping her hands in her hoodie pockets, Adrienne stepped towards the occupied table. “Hello?” “Hey.” Mitch looked relieved to be in mostly familiar company, and yet, despite that and Knox’s vouching, he still seemed on edge, his hands gripping the sleeves of his red and white Anthony Mantha jersey, occasionally picking up his phone and checking it before putting it back down again. “So… what’s going on?” Taking a sip of his iced tea, Matt motioned with his hand before speaking “Mia, I believe this is your cue. And Hi Ade. Nice hoodie!” he remarks, before settling in. He felt like he’d need to smooth this over after, but hopefully Mia would make his job a little easier. Adrienne took a seat next across from Mia and Mitch. She took off her shades as it would have been rude to have them with company. “Right. So…” Mia puts her the shake she was working on down. “Don’t know how closely anyone has paid attention, but several weeks ago, our kind and benevolent DICKtator, C$J put a bounty on my head; or Amelia’s to be precise.” She pauses and shifts her weight, uncomfortable with all eyes on her but soldiers forward, “So when I took hold of my own contract from C$J, I also went back and claimed the bounty on myself.” She pushes the paper bag into the middle of the table and waits dramatically, working on her shake as she does so and finally finishing it up. “Ten thousand dollars right there gentlemen and lady. C$J gave me quite the contract and I’m sure he’s regretting that decision now. I don’t need the money and I want to make sure at least a little bit goes to the people on the roster that actually DESERVE to have good things happen to them every once in a while.” She shrugs, “So I went to Knox since I’ve only met him and asked him about who deserves this kind of payday. Lo and behold the two of you were the names he said without hesitation. So, I’m here to gift you both with the contents of that very bag.” She sits back and casts another glance at the pie case, wondering exactly what kinds there were, but decides to wait until after her food shows up. She eyes Mitch; deciding to get it in a “to go” container seems to be the best bet. Adrienne broke the silence. While that last encounter had been violent, a lot of things had happened recently. And maybe it would be worth just hearing her out. “...a bounty? Like to hurt you?” Mia’s eyes snap back to the woman in front of her and shrugs her shoulders. “Yeah, I guess. ‘Take me out’ as it were. It’s not the first time something like this has happened and probably won’t be the last. But…?” She raises her arms and smiles at the trio, “Each of them have failed and I am still alive and healthy in front of you.” “...I don’t want any of it.” Mitch’s words were practically a mumble, his gaze flicking from the tabletop to the bag of cash and back. Part of him did. Part of him really did. But he could practically see the strings attached. Nobody gives away that kind of scratch for free, least his logic said so. “I can take care of myself. Thanks.” “Maybe Mitch means,” Adrienne interjected, “Is someone going to be looking for this? I haven’t really met this guy but he’s out there putting bounties on his own employees and it's rumored that the Stan guy who was stalking me was hired just for those sort of purposes.” Mia’s face turns sour at the mention of Stan’s name, “Inspector Stan is no mas. Turns out he wasn’t cut out for in ring work and hasn’t been seen since he was in the ring with Amelia and that other chick whose name escapes me.” Mia thinks on it for a second and shrugs, “Don’t really care at the moment. In terms of people looking for that bag of money? You have nothing to worry about. In the state of Maryland, permission is required to place a bounty on anyone, let alone a current employee. C$J had no such thing and was all talk. I’m sure the punishment for doing such a thing, ESPECIALLY had anything happen to me, would be steep and all it took was a little prodding with that info for him to drop the bounty and give me the money. What happens to it from here? Not his concern.” Matthew, through all this has remained silent and taken to rolling a cigarette between his thumb and forefinger, listening intently. He does eventually speak, not long after Mia finishes, “Okay, but Christopher isn’t an idiot. Much as he plays one on TV. He probably didn’t give a shit about legality before, and now? I imagine he just wants to hurt people,” Matt adjusts in his seat, a frown taking over his features “The money, you two take it if you want it but Mia if anyone asks either you say you kept it, burned it, or hell. You gave it to me.” He shakes his head, disgusted, “Sorry Mitch, Ade. Didn’t know there was this much attached to it.” Adrienne considered all of this. Every time she tried to drop a line about her contract situation, it was summarily ignored. Maybe she wasn’t being aggressive enough. Despite being in a fortunate situation, her wallet still was coughing mothballs. Her fingers apprehensively touched the bag. “Mia. I’m thankful that you considered us. I can’t understand what you’re going through with this but perhaps Mitch and I will talk about this privately. It’s a big decision.” She paused, looking at Mia directly. Adrienne didn’t have the best knowledge of what had been going on. However what she saw was a conscious effort to reach out. To just have someone to talk to possibly. “In the meantime, don’t be a stranger.” Mia nods and stands to leave. “Just… I didn’t come here to get anyone in trouble, I didn’t come here to set anyone up for a downfall. I’m not walking out of here with that bag. For all I care, you can leave it there, you can toss it to the next panhandler you see, hell you can even leave it for the next lucky patron. I promise each of you…” She looks at each one, her gaze lingering on Adrienne perhaps a second longer, “I wasn’t lying when I said that I come in peace.” She winks and proceeds to head up the the register, cashing out for her food and ordering a slice of the peanut butter pie to go. Matthew watches Mia depart, before turning his attention to Ade and Mitch “Sorry I sprung that on you two. Didn’t know if you’d have heard her out otherwise.” he explains, shifting in his seat. “Would’ve been nice to know. But it’s cool.” He exhales, the iron curtain around him seeming to lift, his posture relaxing as he flags down a waitress for some coconut cake and coffee. “Sorry about the phone, and me being late, I was just getting set up at the hotel, making sure Pen’s settling in okay. Kid’s having a ball, you’d think we were at Disneyland. Gotta bring her back some of that sugar-free cherry pie though.” Sighing, he poked at the bag of cash. “So yeah. I guess we have to think of something to do with this fu-- this thing.” "Well, you got options. None of which is her taking it back, though," he sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose "How are you two holding up, anyway? Feel like it's been ages." “Okay. Like I said, you shoulda seen Pen on the way here. Had her cute lil’ nose pressed to the window the whole time, even the real boring parts. She can’t wait to meet all of you- ‘specially you, Ade- but I thought it’d be best she just rest up after all that excitement.” Mitch chuckled fondly in spite of himself, thanking the waitress for the cake and coffee before setting to filling the mug the rest of the way with cream. Adrienne smiled at that. She had exchanged a few brief calls with Mitch’s little sister. The first was her thanking Ade for the signed chair. Others were just brief small talk. Adrienne would listen, answer her questions, tell her a little bit about herself and they’d be right as rain. Looking to Matt, she replied honestly, “I haven’t slept well recently but maybe it's just nerves. I talked to Axton recently. I don’t expect you two to understand but,” she paused, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger, “things will be okay eventually.” "I try not to think of Gunn. But your optimism is refreshing" his gaze shifts to Mitch, "She ever traveled this far? Even that boring shit was new awesome to us, the first few times at least." “No, never.” Mitch shook his head, plucking the vibrant red cherry off the top of his cake with two fingers and popping it into his mouth. “Never really had the means to take much of a vacation. Did scrape together enough to take her to Michigan’s Adventure once. She rode every ride she wasn’t too short for and couldn’t have been happier if she’d been a millionaire’s kid.” He seemed happy, speaking this way. As if merely mentioning happy memories with his kid sister briefly was enough to cut through dozens of hardened layers of cynicism and strife. It seemed to slide back into place as he changed subjects, though. “Anyway. I try not to think of Axton a ton either, but if he was cool to you? Maybe there’s hope for the kid yet. Or maybe you’re just good at bringing out people’s chill. It’s a nice quality to have.” “I’m personally going to be putting my confidence in the latter,” Matt spoke with the bluntness that either endeared him, or made him one of the more infuriating people on the roster “But, on to happier stuff. Not as happy as Pen and her world travels, I confess,” he paused, paying Mitch a smile. Knox enjoyed seeing The Broken so...together? Talking about his kid sister was like a whole new person. Made him almost as bubbly as Ade could be, “Divorce should be final, and after a lot...a lot of liquidation, and dealing with lawyers and bankers and people who make C$J look like the paragon of virtue and ethics...I am officially homeless, and looking to move to Baltimore, as keeping with the trend Ade has set.” “To be fair, I sort of ran away.” Adrienne knew how ridiculous that sounded but she wasn’t too sure how to put it. “It was the only way.” She cleared her throat before continuing, “But, this is good, right? Closure?” “Yeah. And, lets face it. If I haven’t tanned by now, it’s never gonna happen. No, I think the drear suits me much better.” He said thoughtfully, staring out the window and not-so-subtly dodging the deeper question posed, “Come on, lets eat up. If neither of you two take that, we’ll call it a tip.” Adrienne eyed the bag. Then Mitch. Then back to the bag. “Some of it could help, Mitch.” Mitch gave a glance to his left, then his right. Out the window. Mia was long gone. The bag was just sitting there. Nobody was offering it directly now. She wouldn’t know. As surreptitiously as possible, Mitch snagged a few stacks of bills from the back, jamming them in his hoodie pocket, going back to cake and conversation as if nothing had happened. Matthew took a beat to watch Ade and Mitch talk, a smile creeping onto his face as he lifts the reuben to take a bite. Yeah.. This was home.

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

Stepping off the Pedestal

Written with Amp and Zen!!

While he knew, eventually, the listlessness and hollow feeling in him would pass with time, Silvio couldn’t help but feel Kohaku’s absence. He’d see something and want to share it or think of some new joke to laugh about, but when he went to look for his partner, there was no one there. It reminded Silvio of the feeling you got when you thought there was one more step on a staircase than there actually was, or reaching for something but finding it just beyond your grasp. Sitting behind his front desk, he sketched an abstract design made with brilliant shades of vermillion; that special color momiji turned in the Fall. The color of the Kyoto he longed for.    He was glad of Adrienne and Axton coming over. Even though he was certain difficult topics were going to be broached, it was better than being alone right now.    The bell over the door gave a ring as Axton shouldered his way inside; he was dressed down and plain in a t-shirt, jeans and loose flannel top left unbuttoned, the sleeves cuffed to his elbows. He shot Silvio a thin smile as he approached the desk, hands in his pockets. He seemed a lot more subdued than usual.    “Hey… How’s it goin’, Sil? Ms. Levi’s not here yet, I take it?”    Silvio looked up at the sound of the bell chiming and smiled at his visitor.    “Hey, Ax. I’m...hanging in there, I guess. I take it you saw the video segment I did for Chaos?”    “Yeah.”    Axton leaned on the desk, folding his arms underneath him and allowing his shoulders to lift toward his ears. It was hard to maintain the smile, so he stopped bothering.    “I didn’t mean to mess things up when I came up here. I just wanted to be part of it. Guess I got my wish in some monkey’s paw shitty way.”    “It was the confluence of a lot of things,” Silvio assured him. “But...I think it’s for the best right now; for all of us.” He gave a wan smile. “Medicine can be bitter, I guess. But it’s not forever, at least.”    “Like I said. Monkey’s paw shit.”    Sighing, Axton turned himself around, resting his elbows on the desk so he was facing the door. He watched the cars roll by past Silvio’s window displays. Everything about this place radiated his personality; it had been easy to find, when he’d been searching blind for it.    “Sil… I’m not… feeling great about all of this. I’m sure you figured that out. I came up here to play a game, for shits and giggles, you know? And it looks like I accidentally kicked a wasp nest on my way in. Now everybody’s stung and screaming and I’m just standing here like the dude with the pizzas in that one scene from Community… everybody yellin’ at me for kicking the nest I didn’t see.”    “I know,” Silvio said, getting to his feet. “And I’m sorry for everything I did...or didn’t do... that contributed to that.” He hesitated before reaching out and touching the tense line of Axton’s shoulder. “But I think talking with Adrienne will help set the record straight.” There was a little snort and he shook his head. “You all had a helluva match, by the way. Congrats on your first win; that fight wasn’t easy.”    “Thanks.”    Axton glanced over said tense shoulder to look at him, forcing another thin smile. “I tried to play it clean… tried to prove something, I guess. But it doesn’t matter. Some people don’t wanna change their minds about you, or believe you no matter what you say. I just decided to lean into it. Let people think what they wanna think. I tried to get away from that kinda thing in LA but I guess it just followed me here.”    He sighed and shook his head, loosely crossing his arms.    “Anyway, sorry for bitching. Thanks for hosting this thing. I don’t want Ms. Levi to think I’m that kind of person. Most people I don’t care if they wanna make me their bad guy, but she’s different.”    “She admires you,” Silvio said. “And I do, too. I never got to see this side of your passions.” He started around the counter to come to Axton’s side. “It suits you.”    He wasn’t exaggerating about that, either. Axton took to all of this naturally. Some people were just like that, though. The light inside of them just couldn’t help but spill over no matter what they did. Silvio knew Axton was catching heat now, but he also knew time would change things. You couldn’t ignore the way Ax shone, and people would take him lightly at their own peril.    Axton’s shoulders softened a bit, looking at Silvio sidelong. The tattoo artist had always had a way of talking to him that just made him want to fall apart in the best way. Tell him anything. Do anything to hear him say those sweet things… that much hadn’t changed.    “It’s fun. Really, it’s fun. I love this sport, I have since high school. I guess I just don’t… I don’t take it as seriously as some people. But I don’t take anything that seriously, y’know?”    Grinning, Silvio gave him a little nudge with his elbow. “Oh, I know, Mr. Cool Patrol,” he teased. “And I don’t think that’s a bad thing, necessarily. I just get the feeling not everyone will get the joke sometimes. Still, I really mean it. You look good out there. It won’t take long for people to respond to it. But that’s the way you are; you make things fall into your orbit without even trying.”    The bell over the front door sounded once more. To anyone that knew her, it was just Ade. But with her knock off Jackie O sunglasses, her grey and purple Baltimore Ravens hoodie drawn over her head, black leggings, and sneakers - she looked far from anonymous. Adrienne remembered when Axton had asked for the address of Sil’s shop. She didn’t know and after a cursory glance, she wished she had visited earlier. Tucking her phone back into the oversized pocket of her sweater, she looked forward and saw that like aways, she was late. Alas, the perks of public transportations. Axton and Silvio were already there conversing amongst themselves.    “Hi,” she said quietly. “Sorry for interrupting.”    Mouth still open about to reply to Silvio, Axton’s attention shifted forward, and he immediately felt his gut twist uncomfortably. He wasn’t looking forward to this--it was too open, too personal, too raw. He’d never been good at this sort of thing… but he knew a good person when he met them, and the last thing he wanted to do was give Adrienne the impression he didn’t deserve all the time and energy she’d already given him. Even if it was… parasocial time and energy.    “Hey.” Once again he attempted a smile, shoving both hands into his pockets to shrink his presence in the room. “You’re not, don’t worry about it. I was prob’ly about to say something dumb anyhow.”    Silvio smiled at Adrienne, gesturing her in. “I’m glad you could make it. Did you want a soda or anything? I’m kind of a sugar fiend, but you’re welcome to any snacks I got, too.”    “Water’s fine.” she said with a curt smile. Adrienne stepped into the room. The shades came off and she did her best to conceal that she hadn’t slept well in the last few days. With no one to talk to lately in that apartment, she’d unintentionally invited over less savory elements. She turned to Axton, doing her best to keep her fandom in check, “So I know this is weird considering this actually is not the first time we’ve met - but I’m Adrienne.”    It took Axton a second to shut off the part of his mind that was busy dwelling on what he already knew--that she was a fan, her name, that they’d squared off in the ring before, even. That exchanges had been made that had upset them both. This was supposed to be about clearing the air… making a fresh start. Swallowing the tight feeling in his throat, he extended a hand, tattoo peeking out from under a leather strap bracelet, his palms still a bit rough from the ring ropes.    “Axton,” he said, clearing his throat. “Just ‘Ax’ is fine, everybody calls me that... You gave Sebastian and I a hell of a fight.”    Adrienne nodded politely. She had already given her thoughts on her efforts. They were unsatisfactory to her standards. Sometimes it felt as if she was on the outside looking in as The Dragon Lady battled it out with her latest grudges. With that compounded with Kohaku’s decision and other incidents, her reaction could be considered insincere.    “Thanks, Ax.”    There wasn’t much else to say about that. This wasn’t a conversation to talk shop. Or as much as she wanted to, how much Axton’s music meant to her. Those sort of things could be done over Twitter.    “Is there somewhere where we can all sit down?” she asked Silvio with a bit of hesitation.    Silvio nodded as he rounded the corner of his front counter, striding over to a mini fridge in a little alcove behind the work area, and getting out a bottle of water for Adrienne. “We can do this in the waiting area, but I also have my, uh...work table,” he said, nodding toward the part of the studio where he typically filmed his tarot readings.    “I’ll take a root beer if you got any.”    As curious as he was to see the space where Silvio shot his legendarily creepy-accurate promos, the couch in the waiting area looked a lot more comfortable. The young musician made his way over to it, pulling his jacket off over his head and slumping into a seat with a sigh that belonged to a man a couple decades his senior.    Honestly, he was sort of relieved Adrienne didn’t seem to want to talk about the match. He didn’t really want to think about it.    “I’m supposed to be watching my sugar intake but fuck it.”    Adrienne took the bottle of water and thanked Silvio, “Here’s fine.” And she sat down on the end of the couch closest to the door. Taking a deep breath, she concluded that since she wanted this meeting, that she should just come out and say what needed to be said.    “I guess it would be safe to say that none of us have had a good time recently. I’m sorry if I made you two mad.”    “Mad?” Silvio echoed in surprise, offering a root beer to Axton. “Adrienne, I’m not mad; I never was. But I get how all of this has been...confusing. Frustrating, probably.” He glanced between Axton and Adrienne before sinking into a seat across from her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you had some questions.”    “Yeah…” Axton was rubbing his face with one hand, palm pressing into his eye as he scratched at his hairline. He lowered it to open the root beer with a pop and hiss. “Not mad about anything. I was pretty offended when you sort of implied I would, you know, ever hit one of my partners with a serious... intent, I guess. I figured that even peripherally you knew me better than that, or would have a bit more faith in me.” He sighed, looking down at his knees. “But after what you said on Twits about your history in the ring, I get it. You’ve been through some stuff and that kind of experience sort of overshadows everything, especially since you aren’t exactly used to my bullshit the way Sil is.”    Adrienne listened to them both, squeezing the water bottle reflexively. She didn’t want to get into rehashing the event. She had it done enough and she figured that they had, too. Looking forward at nothing in particular, she spoke just audibly enough for them to hear. “I didn’t want all of that to matter anymore. Wanted to be above it all but I just can’t seem to shake it.”    She knew how that could possibly sound naive. She knew little what these two had been through. Silvio seemed to possess some skills that implied that he’d had it tough, too. And Axton’s art seemed so raw and personal that Adrienne thought that she knew him. Struggling with her own troubles, all she could see were mirrors into her past everywhere she went. Like no one else existed. Sometimes she felt selfish.    “I try my best to smile through all of this. Scared of what happens when I don’t.”    “Adrienne,” Silvio murmured, “you don’t have to be on anybody’s schedule but your own. Nobody gets to dictate how long something impacts them or anyone else. You’re not weak or pathetic if something that wounded you in the past still hurts or isn’t completely healed. And if you don’t feel like smiling, then don’t. You don’t owe the world a more palatable lie because it doesn’t like the taste of the truth.”    With his hands folded over his mouth, the drink set down on the low table, Axton nodded. He looked a lot more serious and sombre than he usually did. Meadowgreen eyes flickered upward to Adrienne and his tone was soft when he spoke.    “Second that… I know it sucks to think about but, that stuff doesn’t just go away, and nobody expects it to. Anyone who does is a dick with no empathy who doesn’t deserve you and who’s never been there.”    He hesitated, drawing a breath; he let it out on a tremulous laugh.    “You don’t have to smile through it. Shit, you can even write three albums about it, and nobody ever has to know all the rage and melancholy and loneliness is coming from a real place. You just have to get it out somehow. You’ll find people who are willing to stick by you even when these things make you hard to be around sometimes.”    The musician shot a sidelong look at Silvio, the corner of his mouth pulling up a bit.    “And maybe you’ll fly across the country to be near those people… or maybe you’ll just move from Clearwater to Baltimore.”    Uncapping the water finally, she took a swig. She smiled back nervously at Axton. “Yeah. There was nothing left for me back there.” It clicked for Adrienne there. Most of if not all of that ugly first impression washed away. She didn’t want to lecture. She didn’t want to implicate anyone. Pausing, she considered her words here. “I can’t speak for anyone else. But, I’d like to start over. I know you aren’t too fond of Baltimore. I kind of miss the beaches myself. But there’s a lot of special people here.”    Silvio smiled at them. “I’d like nothing better. I think we’d all be a lot happier if we give this another try now.” He’d hated how all of this had overshadowed the person Axton was. All they’d seen was him planting Silvio’s face into the mat. They hadn’t understood everything that had come before it or why Axton had chosen to try and resolve things the way he did. “If you’re okay with that, too, Ax.”    “I can’t promise I won’t stop dunking on Baltimore. That’s part of my brand now, basically,” Axton noted, drumming his fingers on the can that had found its way back into his hands. He cocked his head, looking between them. Truth was, they’d both given him a lot, in different ways--different kinds of support and trust at different times when he needed it. He’d never done well alone.    “But you’re right, there’s some special people here… the kind who are willing to give a dumbass punk a second chance. I know I can be a lot sometimes, but… it’d be cool to be part of all this. It’d be cool to get away from LA, just be a dude for a year, you know? Just a guy, throwin’ another guy for the glory, or maybe getting suplexed by a guy, then hanging out with a girl and a guy and maybe some other guys… I’m doing the thing again, huh.”    “It’s okay, I like it.” She replied. This was the sort of personality she had seen in public. She felt better that it was really how he seemed when in better spirits. Her gaze wandered to Silvio’s fantastic shop, all of the splendid displays of art on showcase. “I’m sorry I didn’t visit earlier. I’m still learning the city and it's either buses or Uber for me.”    “Ah, that’s alright!” Silvio said with a smile. “Visiting a tattoo parlor when you’re not going to get a tattoo isn’t the most exciting thing in the world. I’m glad you swung by, though. My apartment’s actually just upstairs.”    And currently houses one gigantic man who escaped from horrific experimentation that left his mind splintered and body broken and yeah he also stepped on your neck at one point and--    “It’s a total mess right now, but maybe you can come up sometime later. I got tea, books, and sweets for days.”    “I bet it looks exactly the same as your place in LA,” Axton teased.    Silvio took a moment to look affronted, batting his eyelashes and placing a hand on his chest. “Excuse me, is that a slight about my interior design sensibilities, Mr. Gunn?”    “Bitch it might be.”    “Slings and arrows! You wound me,” Silvio gasped as he wilted over his chair.    Watching the two banter, Adrienne felt immensely better. Still a little exhausted from that previous endeavor. With people, she didn’t think about that much. About him.    “I’ve got a few other commitments today.” She said. Standing up, she took back out her shades and put them on. “But I wanted to talk to you guys first. I’ll be the first to admit, Ax. I still don’t get why things happened the way they did.” Looking at him directly, she continued, “But it’s okay. I get it enough to understand where you’re coming from. I don’t like being alone either. Maybe while you’re here, we can all make sure it won’t be a thing anymore.”    “That'd be cool,” Ax replied, his shoulders relaxing. He managed a bit of a smile without straining. “Thanks for hearing me out… it's more than I could've asked. Also, forgot to say so earlier--the shades are dope.”

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

Ja matta ne, pt. 1

Written with Jess

Midnight. Kohaku Fujihara gave a look around. Most of what he’d acquired during his time here was staying- a few things were coming with for old time’s sake. A couple of t-shirts, some odds, and ends. A frequent diner punchcard to his favorite noodle place. A single playing card depicting a laughing jester on one foot juggling black and white balls. These things were jammed into a backpack with plenty of room to spare. Taking a deep breath, he slipped out of the bedroom, trying to be as stealthy as possible… and promptly failed, the sole of his sneaker slipping on the hardwood, producing a sharp squeak, not unlike one would hear on a basketball court. His current tenant, for the lack of a better word, stirred in the midst of a cocoon of blankets and sheets. For a moment, it looked as if the disturbance had woken Adrienne Levi but instead, she just rolled over. Facing Kohaku, but still, fast asleep. Breathing a sigh of relief, Kohaku unfroze from the position he’d stuck himself in and continued to pad toward the door. His fault for wearing shoes inside- usually a major faux pas in Japanese etiquette but disregarded for the sake of a quicker exit. Padding across the room on tiptoe, he laid his hand on the doorknob, casting a glance behind him with a melancholy look before twisting the knob and slowly opening the door- only for the hinges that should have been immaculately silent to let out a creak worthy of a haunted house. “...kuso.” Out from the darkness came a sleepy, “Ko?” Wincing, Kohaku looked over his shoulder. He couldn’t possibly have looked guiltier- backpack on his back, hand on the doorknob, fully clothed in the middle of the night with a very sheepish expression on his face. Caught red-pawed. Shutting the door, he turned around, removing his cap to run his fingers through his hair. “...yeah?” Sitting up, Adrienne sheds the outer layer. Feeling for her phone on the coffee table next to her, she finally secured it and turned on her flashlight. Shining it on Kohaku, her eyebrows raised quizzically. However, there was a perfectly logical reason that there was a bulging backpack slung over his shoulders. “You going over to Sil’s?” Ade asked curiously. “Yeah.” Switching off the light, she mumbled, “Oh, okay.” It wasn’t a lie. He could leave it at that. But he couldn’t. “...but after I do, I won’t be coming back.” Again, Adrienne sat back up. Eventually, on wobbly legs, she stumbled towards the proximity of Kohaku. She had an oversized nightshirt and a pair of boxers on. Somehow not managing to trip over something. Wiping away the sleep from her eyes, her vision played tricks with her. The moonlight trickling in through the large windows projected a silhouette that wasn’t his. Blinking a few times, she realized the strange wavy shapes emanating from his body were just aberrations. “Yeah?” “Yeah. … I mean you don’t need to panic about a place to live, this place is paid up for a few months and if you wanna keep it I kinda ‘negotiated’ the rent down real cheap, I just… I…” He sighed, looking down, almost ashamed of himself. “...I can’t stay here anymore. I’m miserable. Everyone around me is miserable, and it’s a good part my fault. I can’t have been that fun to live with the past few weeks, I know that much.” The young woman shook her head. This was a delicate situation. They had spoken briefly about all of their complicated feelings for Axton Gunn. Ko’s circumstances were wholly different. “You’ve seemed distant, sure.” Circling back around to the crux of the issue, Adrienne contemplated what had just happened to her all of a sudden. She wasn’t exactly sure how she would handle this. How to even handle this as a matter of fact. A tiny voice in her subconscious reassured her that this was okay. So… “...but, I understand.” “I’m sorry. This isn’t fair to you. And I don’t want to leave you, you’ve been a great friend, a great… everything. I wish this hadn’t all happened this way, and who knows. Maybe once I’ve been home for a while, grown up a little, I’ll come back. And maybe when I do…” He grinned, the sort of impish smile he used to flash all the time before all this. “...I’ll have a friend gracious enough to let a vagabond ol’ fox like me crash on her couch.” Adrienne nodded and smiled in return. She noticed that his canines were rather pointed. Or maybe she was just making stuff up. Lately, she had a pretty active imagination. “Don’t dwell on it. I’ll be okay.” Adrienne sniffled. She stepped towards him. Leaning forward, Kohaku pressed his lips to her forehead gently. “It will. You’re going to be fine. Whatever place you’re searching for, you’ll find it. I believe in you.” Pulling away and running a hand over his eyes, he paused once more, unzipping a pouch of his backpack and handing Adrienne a small, worn old book. “A book of Japanese folklore. To remember me by while I’m gone. Sayonara for now, dear little queen.” Bowing, he vanished into the night, leaving behind him the scent of fresh rice and, perhaps, a flash of russet fur.

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

Chaos 99 results

Written by Scott

Terra Skye: This whole, 'Institution' thing worries me. Johnny Vegas: Meh, just another cult among Carnage Cult Wrestling! How bad could it be? Terra Skye: If they're what created the SuZQ we knew when they first joined Carnage... Johnny Vegas: You might have a point. But let's just forget about it until something actually happens... That's the correct way to handle potential problems, right? Terra Skye: Not in the slightest but whatever. It looks like Steve Matthews has another problem on the horizons? Boy: MOTHERS GRAPES! Johnny Vegas: Since when doesn't Matthews have a problem? Terra Skye: I don't know, since he beat your boy earlier tonight? Johnny Vegas: BITCH! Terra Skye: Oh please... you're way worse than that. The next match is getting ready to begin and it's gonna be a good one so shush. Adrienne Levi and The Dragon Lady confer in their corner for a few moments. On the opposite side of the ring, Axton Gunn gives Sebastian Hawke a pep talk, offering a pat on the back and an audible "You got this," before stepping through the ropes to the apron. Levi and TDL finish their exchange, with Levi stepping outside to the apron, leaving TDL and Sebastian Hawke to start things off. Ref Jeff signals for the opening bell. DING DING!! The two advance to the center of the ring. Dragon Lady wastes no time in firing a left high kick at Sebastian, who quickly dodges, only to get caught with a lightning fast right roundhouse. Hawke goes to one knee, as The Dragon Lady follows with a series of elbows to the back of his head. She attempts to hook on a Dragon Sleeper, but Hawke fights out. Terra Skye: The Dragon Lady with an onslaught of offense against Sebastian Hawke. This is type of thing that could cause someone to lose their cool. Johnny Vegas: Come take a shot, kiddo. Eases the nerves. Boy: SHOTS OF FIRE! Johnny Vegas: It doesn't burn much anymore, to be honest. Hawke battles out of the Dragon Sleeper by firing a knee to the Dragon Lady's face. She releases the hold and Hawke sends a second knee to her midsection, dropping her to the mat. He punctuates the attack with a boot to her face and looks to Axton who cheers him on, offering claps and the classic wink-and-gun. Hawke keeps his focus, locking the Dragon Lady in and leading her to the corner where he tags in Axton. Axton leaps to the rop rope, leaping off with a diving DDT to drops Dragon Lady to the mat. Sebastian steps out to the apron, and Axton presses their advantage. Johnny Vegas: This is great for Adrienne Levi. She can just sit back and let Gunn and Hawke work over her opponent for Chaos 100, then she's got a cakewalk to the Baltimore Title. Terra Skye: I don't think that's her plan, but right now we're seeing some impressive teamwork from Axton Gunn and Sebastian Hawke. Johnny Vegas: If it's not her plan, it should be. Boy: Very MOIST! Terra Skye: Ew... why? Gunn pulls TDL to her feet, whipping her to the ropes and rebounding off the opposite side of the ring. He leaps into the arm, looking for a Superman punch, but TDL sees him coming and counters with a bicycle kick that catches him in the chest, sending him to the mat. Dragon Lady tumbles back, holding herself up on the ropes, as Gunn goes for a kip up. He springs acrobatically to his feet, but immediately clutches his ribs once he's vertical again. He battles through the pain, charging TDL, who hops on his shoulders, looking for a poison rana. Gunn pushes her off, where she lands in front of him and he catches her with a half-nelson suplex. He bridges into a pin attempt as Ref Jeff drops to the mat. One!! Two!! Thr-KICKOUT!! TDL kicks out, the momentum carrying her close enough to the opposite corner to tag out to Adrienne Levi. Johnny Vegas: Wrong move, Levi. All you had to do was hop off the apron and your first title win in Carnage Wrestling is practically a gimme. Terra Skye: Some people have integrity, Johnny. Johnny Vegas: Those people don't have championships. Terra Skye: So you're saying our World Champ and Ultraviolent-- Johnny Vegas: EXCEPT THEM. FUCK THEM! Still clutching his ribs, Axton backs into his corner, tagging out to Hawke. Hawke and Adrienne lock up. Adrienne stuns him with a forearm strike, but Hawke ducks the follow-up and tries to catch her with a neckbreaker. She blocks it, hooking his arms and bringing Hawke's shoulders to the mat with a backslide. One!! Two!! Thr-KICKOUT!! Hawke flips back to his feet from the backslide, leaving Levi on her knees. With lightning quickness Hawke fires a running strike that catches Levi right in the face. Terra Skye: Hawke's Landing out of nowhere! Levi crumples as Hawke rolls her into a pinning combination. The Dragon Lady dives through the ropes for the save, with Gunn only a second behind due to taking the time to be shocked and awed by Hawke's clutch knee. One!! Two!! Thr-INTERRUPTED!! The Dragon Lady hits an elbow to Hawke to break the pin up. Axton doesn't have a chance to get involved, as Ref jeff attempts to restore order and get the illegal competitors back to the apron. Hawke pounds the mat in frustration, but pushes past it, ready to jump back on the attack. Levi reels from the knee strike. Hawke pulls her up, whipping her to the corner with Axton, but Levi rebounds off the turnbuckles with a diving crossbody that catches Hawke unprepared and sends him to the mat. One!! Two!! Thr-KICKOUT!! Ref Jeff only counts two, but Levi doesn't let it bother her, instead opting to close the distance and tag out to the Dragon Lady. Sebastian charges in an attempt to stop the tag, but a roundhouse from the TDL on the apron leaves him stunned. As TDL climbs into the ring, Hawke attempts to catch her with a superkick, but she catches it and sends him to the mat with a vicious dragon screw. Hawke attempts to get back to his feet, but Dragon Lady drops him back down with a scissor kick. Gunn reaches out for the tag, cheering his partner on, and Adrienne stirs in her own corner, holding herself up with the aid of the ring ropes. The Dragon Lady rolls Hawke onto his stomach, cracking him across the head with palm strikes, as she attempts to lock on a camel clutch. Terra Skye: The Dragon Lady is looking for a Dragon's Next submission, but Hawke is managing to fight out of it so far. Johnny Vegas: Come on you little shit, fight out! TDL hooks one of Hawke's arms, but he manages to get to his knees, hooking her legs in a piggyback position as he attempts to get back to his feet. TDL meets him with another series of palm strikes, but Hawke pushes through, hoisting her up and driving her back first into the turnbuckles of his corner. The impact forces The Dragon Lady to release the hold and gives Axton an opening to tag himself back in. Johnny Vegas: YES! Axton drops the Dragon Lady with a quick DDT, getting her into position for his double-hop moonsault. He goes for one hop, then the second and backflips off the turnbuckle, but Dragon Lady gets back to her feet. Axton corrects in midair, managing to land on his feet, only to get caught in the back of the head with a roundhouse kick. Terra Skye: Encore attempt by Axton Gunn, but Dragon Lady saw it coming! The roundhouse leaves Axton stunned and the Dragon Lady leaps into action, hooking his head for Sliced Bread #2. She runs up the turnbuckles, but Sebastian Hawk grabs her feet, flipping her back over Axton Gunn. She lands on her feet, but in the confusion Gunn makes another tag to Hawke. As Hawke hops through the drops, Axton delivers a low drop kick to Dragon Lady's leg, dropping her to one knee and leaving her wide open to a Buzzsaw Kick from Hawke. Terra Skye: Talons of the Hawke! Great teamwork! Boy: WHY ARE THE GRAPES GONE?! Hawke folds up Dragon Lady for a pinning combination, as Adrienne Levi makes her way through the ropes on the opposite side of the ring. One!! Two!! Three!!! Levi hits Hawke a second too late, as Ref Jeff signals for the bell and holds up the arms of the winners. DING DING DING!!! Kelly Carmichael: Here are your winners, via pinfall - SEBASTIAN HAWKE AND AXTON GUNN!!! Hawke rolls to the outside, where he and Gunn embrace, each one using the other to maintain their vertical base. On the inside of the ring, a frustrated Dragon Lady rolls to one corner, punching the mat for good measure. She and Adrienne Levi exchange a look, but maintain their distance, their focus now on their clash at Chaos 100. Terra Skye: What a match but Axton Gunn and Sebastian Hawke pull it out! Kind of a redemption for their respective losses at Chaos 98. Adrienne and The Dragon Lady, they lost and now... Now it looks like they're realizing that their next challenge will be each other. Johnny Vegas: For the Baltimore City Championship, no less. Terra Skye: You're right. It's anyone's guess who's going to walk out of Chaos 100 as the Baltimore City Champ - But I do know it's gonna be one hell of a fight. But before we head into another break, I'd just like to congratulate Axton and Sebastian again! Johnny Vegas: YOU BETTER!

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

(IX)

   “I’m sorry I didn’t come earlier.”    Adrienne Levi leveled her gaze at Matt Knox, sitting up in his hospital bed. He slurped at a Jello cup, dislodging the gelatin and swallowing it whole. Crossing her arms over her chest, she let him finish.    “Wasn’t sure what to say.”    Knox rolled his tongue and the cherry gelatin prize down his gullet. He eyed Adrienne evenly, a smirk cracking his features before speaking in a dazed, sleepy tone.    “Hello is a good start, I think.”    At least he was still charming in his way, she thought.    “Hi.”    Adrienne did her best to hold back the waterworks. But that was before she watched the dumb match where these two nearly murdered each other, especially with what happened afterward.    “Do you believe me now about him?” She asked with a mix of concern and slight irritation.    Knox closed his eyes, exhaling through his nose. He took a moment before responding.    “Would you be mad if I said I almost had him?” He said with a wry chuckle, “I always believed what you said, Ade. But you know me well enough now to know that giant, angry mental patients aren’t something I’ll shy away from fighting.”    For the briefest moment, his gaze goes somewhere far off. To Zane’s wild eyes at the end of the match. To that horrid smell on his breath. The howls.    “But yes, I believe you.”    “...I talked to him last month, Matt. Like away from all of this.”    Adrienne hadn’t told anyone about that strange conversation. Sometimes she wondered if it even happened.    “He’s not okay. He seems sick. Like physically ill.”    Matt’s face fell into a frown. His voice came flat, and not just because of the painkillers. “Physically, mentally,” he shook his head, “If Zane is that messed up, maybe he should be institutionalized. Someone like him, if there are that many underlying issues...hell, fuck underlying, just spend thirty seconds with him.”    He wove a hand through the air, before chopping it as he made his point.    “Zane King is going to kill someone. Maybe it’s not entirely his fault, but the longer people dance around and pretend it’s a non-issue? The bigger a risk, it becomes not just to the victim, but to Zane himself.” He paused, breathing in, before letting out a long exhale.    “I have no love or understanding for Zane King. But, I have miles of it for mental illnesses. Hell, sometimes I see and talk to--” He stopped himself. “I’m just saying. He needs help, even if the help is being put out of commission.”    Adrienne had a feeling that Zane welcomed threats like that every day. Pulling a seat closer, she sat next to Matt’s bed.    “Maybe.” She said uncertainly. Her mind wandered to how this encounter only seemed to serve as a catalyst. Everyone seemed on edge, whether it was about this match with King or the other fires spreading as of late.    Matt eyed her quietly, before reaching out a pale hand, knuckles swollen and bruised and grasping one of hers.    “We never get any kind of breaks lately, huh, kid?” He asked in the kindest tone he could muster.    “Between Silvio’s past coming to reap whatever was sewn, Mitch riding a bike between here and Detroit on no sleep, The Rat, Sebastian, and his fucking mouth.” He said, shaking his head. “At least it isn’t boring.”    Adrienne’s hand relaxed in his.    “No, it isn’t.”    Knox squeezes her hand, before releasing it and settling into the bed. He looks around the room before setting upon the stuffed blackbird at his bedside. He reaches over and plucks it, showing it off to Ade.    “Had someone drop this off while I was doped out of it last night. I think it was your new tag team partner.” Matt said with a cheese-eating grin, “You know, the one you replaced me with.”    Adrienne feigned shock, “I didn’t make that decision.”    Eyeing the bird, she smiled.    “Besides, I think our mutual friend is trying every way possible to cause conflict. Especially after Stan was fired for cause. I guess carrying a list of my supposed daily routine is frowned upon.”    “Fuck that guy.”    Knox laughed, pausing to wince and favor his midsection.    “And fuck Axton Gunn too. And well, almost everyone else if I’m honest.” A soft chuckle escaped as he eyed the drip.    “Man, this stuff numbs everything but the tongue.” He sighed slowly, feeling and enjoying the warmth.    “Yknow, Adrienne,” he has leaned back into his pillows a bit more, eyes lulling halfway, “you three. You, Mitch, Silvio. It’s like someone broke my reflection up into three pieces. Mitch, I remember bein’ that angry and protective because it was yesterday.”    Another self-aware chuckle.    “Silvio, well, he reminds me of all the ghosts.” And without a beat, he pointed a finger at Adrienne, “And you, It’s like an out of body experience, when I laid eyes on you. All the doubt and self doubt to boot, but then all the god damn grit to overcome.”    A brief pause. Adrienne continued to let him roll. She was enjoying the company of a good friend.    “Like my theme, you see.” After letting her soak in his pun, he continued, “You are currently enjoying … what, a five-win streak? You know that puts you only behind Silvio and Cortes, right? The tag champion, and future tag champion.” The cocktail seeping into his veins was clearly getting the better of him, but he adjusted and spoke clearly, “You’re better than good Ade. You’re great. Might be the best.”    Adrienne responded with a polite smile. She let the Axton stuff slide. Too much to consider to get an argument about a celebrity and now a co-worker. One that she happened to think the best of. One she was struggling mightily with. Matt was someone special. Past that gruff exterior and tenacity to curse like a sailor, she saw a man finally reconciling with a past worth forgetting.    It seemed to be a commonality.    “I appreciate that, Matt. I’ve still got a long way before I could talk about myself like that. I’m not sure I ever could.”    She didn’t intend to self-depreciate. Was a nasty habit.    “But I do understand where you’re coming from. I’ll make an effort to think better of myself. I promise.”    “You better, or I’ll take that Baltimore title from you. If you win it.” He snorted then, “Christ, I’m not watching that match. My best friend and my dragon...friend.”    Matt furrowed his brow and shrugged before concluding, “You two are gonna tear the house down.”    Adrienne acknowledged the compliment with a nod. However, his hesitation quirked her interest. She thought of something sarcastic to say. Maybe joke a little. But this was important, she could tell. Adrienne squeezed his hand and spoke low, “I’m happy for you, Matt. I really am.”    “Yeah? Well, I mean, I don’t know what it is. Don’t wanna label anything or...” he trailed off.    She nodded along, understanding that he would always be guarded considering the public spectacle his life has been made.    “Guess it’s just nice, having a match to watch where I don’t hate someone. Not that I’m gonna watch.” Matt squeezed her hand back then, his voice lower now too, “You helped open me up to this sort of rot though, you know that, right? You dug me the rest of the way out of that hole Bert wouldn’t let me die in.”    Listening intently, Adrienne felt the weight of his words. She never thought she had much of an impact on anyone. She tried her best, certainly but to hear something like this took her aback.    “Learned that it was easier to put all that aggression into helping someone instead of hating everyone.” He snorted. “Christ. You’d think this was my death bed, and I was having ‘The Surge’ the way I’m goin’ on.”    “The Rat has that effect.” She said with a knowing smile, followed by an immediate shame for letting that slip.    Knox went to make a quip about bad breath when suddenly a knock on the door cut through the room. Standing at a proud five foot, seven in the doorway was a young, blonde, distressed looking woman of maybe eighteen. She wore an Imperial Youth Wrestling shirt and blue jeans. Matthew’s features went still a moment before a smile broke them up.    “Hey, Hope,” he said with as much doped up cheer he could muster.    Adrienne waved at Matt’s daughter that she had heard all about. But now wasn’t the time to chat. It was clear that Hope was being respectful, but that this was visit had a reason that didn’t involve her.    “Matt, I’m going to leave you two be.”    Standing up, Adrienne went to the doorway.    “And after today, I could use a drink.”            “I’ll be honest. I’m pretty shaken up about this one.”    One of the newest contenders to the Baltimore City Championship, Adrienne Levi, was sitting at a corner table at the Angels Rock Bar. Located right in her new home city, she felt it would be an appropriate setting to talk about well, rock stars. It’d be a lie if she planned this. Adrienne just happened to be out mailing a letter when she saw a flyer for a free concert. Also, it was ladies’ night. Her little digital camera was placed on the table, framing the shot tight and level. Despite her surroundings’ dim lighting, it was clear she had on a black t-shirt on displaying Axton Gunn’s charming visage. Her elbows were on the table, hands steepled. Her eyes shimmered as she mulled over and contemplated her choice of words.    “This is like my third take,” she admitted with her usual meek tone. “But I wanted to make sure to get this right. In less than a month, I have a great opportunity to represent this city. But that can’t be my focus.”    Adrienne pivoted the camera slowly towards the stage. Stagehands were setting up for a concert.    “Let’s set the stage.”    When the shot reverted, her grin was apparent.    “Get it, cuz like they’re setting … the … stage?” After the proverbial crickets sounding off in her mind, Adrienne continued, “Maybe I’ll just edit that part out.”    In between her words, the ambiance of the bar took over. Clinking glasses, random conversations, and of course, the mechanical bull she made a concerted effort to ignore when first walking in.    “One more stop before that huge century mark. Same partner. I know that I can trust her. I know that the fierce attitude that The Dragon Lady possesses will maybe lend a different perspective to this upcoming encounter. And they may be the very reason that she walks out champion instead of me. These aren’t things I can fret about right now. Our opposition seems to be of the same wavelength. I could understand why Sebastian Hawke would look up to someone like Axton Gunn. It would only be natural that these two eventually worked together. However, judging by all of our reactions, I doubt none of us expected this.”    She gestured with her hands, following by a slightly exaggerated shrug.    “But here we are,” she said with a smile, “Sebastian, I’m sorry I couldn’t find a shirt with you two on it. Maybe you’ll rectify that later for me. This isn’t just about your partner. I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about you. I wish I had half the courage that you did. The ink wasn’t dry on your contract before you accepted the challenge of someone who personifies this company’s mission statement. That is ultraviolence. You stood toe to toe with Mitch Heart and earned a lot of people’s respect that evening.”    Mitch Heart had intended to teach Sebastian a lesson in humility through brute force. And while Hawke succumbed to The Broken, it only seemed to harden his heart. It made Adrienne wonder if that approach has been common to someone like this young man.    “May we talk about what else happened? I think its rather important. To be dismissed, to be infantilized, to be marginalized - it hurts. I wanted to thank you for your advice the other day. I know that you meant well. Maybe those sorts of ideals worked for you in the past even. But that isn’t who I am. Here’s what bothered me just a little, Sebastian. I think you were just angry, and that’s okay. But you tried to hold me accountable for the actions of my friends. Maybe Matt Knox can be a little caustic. And Silvio and Kohaku are quick to speak their minds. And well, you met Mitch personally. I get it. I may have held Steve Matthews’ feet to the fire for his half-hearted denouncement of Alex Winter, and so maybe you think I’m a hypocrite.”    Pausing, she took a sip of the ice water the server brought her earlier. The cubes were already melting, and she could maybe go for something harder. But Adrienne had promised herself not to drink on camera anymore as it set a poor example.    “It’s a little different than a friend coming to my defense when you chose to be abrasive, don’t you think? However, I admonished my friend because I don’t think you had done anything particularly wrong. You were just asking questions, right? Or is that you’re confused that I could associate from people so different than me? It just requires a little empathy, Sebastian. Either way, everything washed out in the end. For you, this is an opportunity to hit the reset button on your debut. Maybe muddy the waters of the Baltimore City Championship scene by getting a definitive victory over the current contenders. However, if you wanted to, you could ask your partner about his motives sometime.”    Adrienne slid her business phone into view. Having previously set this up, a brief audio snippet played for all to hear. ”...so glad to see you made so many new friends without me, Silvio. Can’t wait to introduce myself to ‘em… one by one.”    That was Axton Gunn just mere moments after he drove Silvio Leon’s skull into the mat. Notably, after a feigned motion to reconcile. Adrienne’s expression was mired with conflict. Hesitation marked her words.    “Axton, I know you may hear this a lot. But I’m your number one fan. Your music has always been a beacon of light in the darker periods of my life. That’s a little dramatic, huh? Your take-no-prisoners attitude is something I wish I could emulate every day. You just say what you want, consequences be--”    Adrienne cut herself off.    “You know what I mean. Axton, simply put, you’re one of the coolest people ever. And as evidenced by your debut against Kohaku, you bring all of those intangible rockstar qualities to the ring as well. Not only that, but you’ve also given so much back. You use your influence to help those who are less fortunate. And if you would forgive me for this little weakness, Axton, you’re striking to look at. Your eyes are mesmerizing. Your smile makes me melt.” She said with a reverence like the many times she had rehearsed in the mirror if she ever had the chance to meet him. Well, before this. “You are just perfect.”    The clip played again - a startling interruption to her star worship.    “But, you’re not.”    Adrienne’s words hung in the air. She did her best to revert to a neutral tone. Maybe even stoic if her soft eyes didn’t always happen to betray those attempts.    “You said as much. That makes me foolish to place you so high. It was wrong of me almost to deify you. I deprived you of your right just to be human. I would hope that you would extend that same courtesy towards my imperfect friends.”    Habitually, she wiped away at her eyes.    “I’d like to reintroduce myself. I’m Adrienne, and in just over a week, we’ll be opponents. Nobody will remember my name like yours, but in that ring, we are equals. I don’t want to brag, but I’ve worked hard, and I’ve done well for myself. I appreciate the kind words you’ve shared about me. I really wanted to say something prior, but well, you’re a star, and I’m just me. I’m okay with that. For the first time in a long while, I think maybe I like the person I see in the mirror. One of the reasons I’ve been able to do that is because I’ve promised to be honest. I can’t break that promise for you, Axton, I’m sorry.”    Leaning forward, Adrienne stared intently into the camera. She spoke in a calm voice as if she was truly speaking to an audience of one.    “Your first appearance in Carnage Wrestling wasn’t as Axton Gunn, the award-winning rockstar. It was as someone who had traveled across to the country to confront someone that had hurt you. Let’s take that at face value. You’ve always been truthful in your art. So I believe you. You laid everything on the table, and I think you and Silvio have a lot to talk about.” She said this with utmost sincerity. Adrienne’s gaze to Axton faltered as she continued, “And then I saw Axton Gunn as I’ve never seen him before. Not that I know you or anything. I’m just basing this on what you’ve allowed me to see. You struck Silvio.”    Her fingers tapped on the table lightly as she looked away for the brief moment, all of this accompanied by a small sniffle.    “You know, in this industry, a lot of issues get resolved through violence. There’s a distinct difference in what you chose to do and what happens within the confines of a match. Sometimes it even seems a little preformative. Silvio hurt you. So you decided to hurt him. This sort of thing happens every show. Could even get desensitized to it.”    Whether she meant to or not, Adrienne’s hand went to the side of her face.    “I always blamed myself when this sort of thing happened. There was something that I did to deserve a lesson. I needed to understand the hurt that I caused. Sometimes I’d get confused, and I wouldn’t learn fast enough. But, suffering creates clarity.” Her demeanor softened once she affixed her gaze towards the lenses of the camera.    “I don’t think that is you at all, Axton. I can’t speak to whether that was premeditated or not. You’re one of the smartest people around, so when you speak, maybe I misunderstood what you meant.” For a third time, the statement from Axton played.    “You met Kohaku last show. He may have pinned you in that ring, but you planted that seed. You sowed that doubt on the type of person Silvio is. You admitted what you did wasn’t enough. Silvio hadn’t learned his lesson. As you watch this, Axton, ask yourself a small question. You ever wonder how Kohaku feels about all of this?”    Adrienne couldn’t confess to know about the inner workings of Starfox. However, their affections had been public, so no wonder Axton found out how he did.    “None of this. None of this would be my business, except you made it my business. I’m next, Axton. I’m your number one fan, and I love everything you do. I expect you to be on your best behavior. I expect you to be the Axton Gunn that I’ve maybe had dreams about. But Axton, I can’t play the part you want me to. I can’t feed into this campaign you have against Silvio Leon. You will need to handle these things in private, and you need to be held accountable for how you chose to react to Silvio’s decision to leave you. All of this can be done without any more lessons.”    Sitting up straight, Adrienne’s voice climbed to one of determined resolve.    “Axton, I hope you understand how difficult this was. When that bell rings, you face a team that has been battle-tested under precarious circumstances, with the mutual understanding that eventually, we’d have to compete with one another for just one prize. The Dragon Lady will speak for herself some other time, but I can say in the brief time that I’ve known her, she’s the bravest woman I know. And well, when you lock up with me, Axton, I won’t be your number one fan. I will be the woman who stood up to the rampant misogyny that still permeates this industry. I helped quell back those who would corrupt the innocence of this world.”    Adrienne’s eyes sparked if that were even possible, and she spoke with the fervor of someone who truly believed what she was saying.    “In the face of low expectations, I’ve climbed through the wreckage of one of the most devastating nights of my career, and I’ve thrived. One day, I don’t know when and I don’t know how, but I’m going to be remembered, too. I hope that I haven’t made Sebastian or you angry with me, Axton. I just wanted to let you know where I stand. I’m going to fight you, removed from whatever your plans are, and if I have the opportunity to beat you?”    Letting that question linger, she answered it herself.    “I won’t hesitate.”    Reaching forward, Adrienne went to turn the camera off. Inadvertently, her elbow knocked the plastic tumbler over and spilled water all over the table and her shirt and lap.    “Darn it, not aga-”    The feed cut.        Adrienne let the bubble mailer slip from her hand into the open hatch of the USPS mailbox. Addressed to one Sylvia Gould.

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

Neil Diamond is okay, I guess.

Written with TDL. 

The ride has been awfully silent thus far. Not that it was due to negative vibes. Just awkwardness possibly without Mameha being present with them. Adrienne couldn’t tell if The Dragon Lady was smiling due to her being masked. It certainly confused the driver but Adrienne didn’t care. She knew her partner was very committed to this so who was she to argue? So en route to the arena for some obligations, Adrienne thought it’d be a great idea for the team to ride over together after a brief training session at her partner’s gym. The driver kept eyeing them both warily so Adrienne smiled politely to his reflection in the rearview mirror and then broke the ice.    “So, uh, what do you like to do?” Adrienne asked as she put aside her cellphone. The 177th level of Candy Crush could wait until later.    The Dragon Lady gripped the front of her belt with both hands. Still feeling a little insecure with Adrienne. And not because Adrienne was some mean or hostile person. It would be quite the opposite of that. The Dragon Lady looked over at Adrienne and replied, "You mean besides trying to wrestle?"    She went silent a moment and then stared forwards again.    "I used to be a teacher's assistant before I came here to Baltimore. Never liked it much. Kinda did it because my ma wanted me to be some amazing smart woman. I thought I could do it. But just wasn't me. I haven't gone down there yet, but thinking about going down to the local nursing home. Maybe do some volunteer work for some older people. It's," she went silent again as she looked to be trying to find the right words to say, "easier to listen than talk for me. Thought I could listen to some interesting stories from the past. Try to get my brain to slow down with all the thoughts going on up there."    “That’s okay. I’m afraid my life isn’t very interesting. I’d tell you about all of the cool people I’ve met lately but it’s kind of obvious.”    Adrienne thought a little about what she said. This was the most The Dragon Lady had spoken to her directly. She’d cut a few promos but the rookie knew from experience that doing that sort of talk was quite different.    “I can understand managing the expectations others have for you. My mom wanted me to be a nurse before all of this.”    However, she was persistent and wanted to learn more about someone about this woman. It was clear that beyond the tough and mysterious exterior, there was an individual who believed in what was right.    “But, yes, besides wrestling, what do you like to do? Like for fun?”    "Think about Matt Knox," she said not even realizing what had come out of her mouth. Too late.    "Don't ever," she looked at Adrienne sounding completely embarrassed. "Don't ever tell him that. He has a big enough ego as it is. And I mean I don't think about him like all the time either. Just you know."    Even with her mask on Adrienne would be able to see the tops of her cheeks are red. And her ears have also turned bright red.    "Sometimes," she said.    Adrienne nodded respectfully.    She looked away again. Loosening her grip on the belt she held between her hands trying to look like she is at ease which is not the case.    The Dragon Lady changed the subject.    "I like watching movies. All types of movies. As I said, I'm not a people person very much. I find my escape with movies and popcorn." With that she stayed silent, planning to bring up Matt again now that it's brought up. "But no. Seriously. You seem like one of Matt's close friends here. Why haven't you told him he should rest after that ugly match he had with LRK?"    She sounded legit concerned for Matt. "I already know he's stubborn. I can tell. Did you try to talk to him?" She would not sound mad at Adrienne. The Dragon Lady's words came off more intrigued by the whole situation.    “I tried.”    Zane King was a touchy subject. Despite a clearing of the air, King had still crushed her windpipe due to pure circumstance. Like The Dragon Lady, Zane covered his face but the dreadful smelling leather covering seemed to be more of an extension of his body than just a mask. What King did to Matt Knox was too far whether he accepted the fight or not. Zane King couldn’t keep getting away with this but who could even stop him?    The driver turned up the radio slightly, interrupting her train of thought. Adrienne wasn’t a big fan of Neil Diamond but she was too nice to say anything.    Adrienne smiled with the sudden realization of this woman’s admission. It was the sort of obvious but it would be rude to point that out. The innocent gift left to Matt told her everything she needed to know.    “He does what he wants. I can suggest it. I can plead. But Matt revels in destruction. Even if it’s his own.”    The Dragon Lady looked to be someplace far away from this little car. She took a deep breath then, "Most men are like that. Believe me. I know." She definitely wouldn't have been referring to any boyfriend or past lover when she said this. She simply thought of her father. A man who also reveled in destruction. To himself. To the Dragon lady. To everyone in his past.    The Dragon Lady changed the subject again. "So what is it? That you see in Axton Gunn? I listened to a bit of his music. Guess it just wasn't my style." The Dragon Lady looked at Adrienne for this answer very curious. As she had already mentioned for their match against the young man, she was his number one fan.    “I wasn’t being dramatic when I talked about the impact he made. I guess you’re right. I’m just a huge fan. In the last few years, Axton’s music was sometimes the only barrier I had.”    Adrienne said this with hesitation. The barrier could be literal in a sense. Memories flooded in during those long road trips where her ex-husband would find one thing, one little thing, to harp on the entire trip. Eventually, she’d covertly slip in earbud into her “Gunn Show” playlist. It could be his music. It could be just his interviews. He loved listening to him talk as he was so passionate about the right things.    “I know he made a bad first impression.”    Early on, she had some suspicions that there were some ulterior motives to Axton’s conduct. But he checked Hawke almost immediately as the young man just laid into Adrienne about supposedly being a hypocrite.    “But that can’t be our focus.” Adrienne paused a beat. This was as a good time as ever to bring this up. They had been successful against Matthews and Goode despite what she had seen throughout that evening. “And Alex can’t be either. Gunn and Hawke are counting on distractions.”    The Dragon Lady kicked the back of the Uber driver's seat then. Not hard but enough to get his attention. "I can't think with that music on. Will you please, turn it down?"    The radio was muted without further incident.    The Dragon Lady looked back at Adrienne not looking mad. She looked serious. "I know. It's just so hard for me with Alex. Anytime I see his face or hear his name," she shook her head looking a bit frustrated. "I just want to punch him. Or something."    She let out a heavy shaking breath looking to be trying to calm herself. "I guess there's been to many people like Alex that have come into my little space. I am sorry if I ever seem distracted. I truly am trying. And I truly can't lie when I still want to punch him so bad. I wish. I wish I was different. Some person that could always just let things bounce off of me without a care in the world. Kinda like Alex. I guess. But I wouldn't be a prick about it like he is being."    “I’m not worried about what happens in the ring as so much what effect he has on you outside of it. When Alex first appeared, he went right after me. And I bit.” Adrienne shared. She didn’t regret standing up for himself and capturing her first victory against the man who promised to do horrible things to her was certainly sweet. However, it only seemed to make him bold. The embarrassment he suffered made him desperate and that was clearly recognized by those in power.    “Go after him for your own satisfaction. But know that he’ll never learn his lesson. He’s like one of punching bags that just stands right back up after being knocked over.”    There was a silence between the two as the Winter matter was put to bed.    She reached a hand over to Adrienne then. Resting it very lightly on her knee, patting it. "For the record, I never thought you were being dramatic about anything you said about Axton or Sebastian. I believe you. Of all people, I believe you when you say you think Axton may be a good guy. He hasn't proved himself yet though. And if he wants me to think differently. Well, he's going to need to get a bit more creative. Maybe take me to an all you can eat seafood buffet. But not until someone else does."    She was smiling under her mask now, even if Adrienne couldn't see it. She pulled her hand back then. This closeness to someone felt foreign. The Dragon Lady would say then, "So tell me, what is it you enjoy doing for fun?"    Adrienne could admit that she maybe twice a week she liked to drink that bottle of cheap wine and watch the Real Housewives of whatever iteration there was on currently. Although she didn’t want to come off as the company lush or anything like that.    “I don’t know. I’m kind of like you in that respect. Although, I really like hanging out with my friends. Always looking for new friends, too.” She said with an obvious implication.    The Dragon Lady looked at Adrienne as the taxi pulled into the Carnage parking lot. Many things went through her brain after Adrienne said the words on her mind. "Well perhaps sometime," she paused before continuing to speak. "Perhaps sometime you can show me more of the harbor. It would be an honor if you did." She balled a hand intonation fist then as the other was open palm next to it. A sign of respect from The Dragon Lady.    "It has already been an honor to work with someone so fine in their own special way."    “I’d like that,” Adrienne replied with a smile.    The Dragon Lady then reached into her getup bringing forth more than enough to pay for the ride. She handed it to the taxi driver.    "Keep the change," her eyes went back to Adrienne. "Until we see each other in the ring again. I look forward to this match and the next."    With that, The Dragon Lady slipped out of the Uber. She walked inside the Carnage Pavillion to find food.    Adrienne looked to the driver briefly.    “Have a good day, sir!” She said before running to catch up with The Dragon Lady. Adrienne averted a crisis by not tripping over her untied shoelace, instead stumbling a bit before catching herself.    Thankfully, no one saw.

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

...The Drinks and The Divided...

Written with the amazing Amber...

“What is it about her that is so goddamned special?” ― Laurell K. Hamilton, Obsidian Butterfly Unnamed Bar Baltimore, MD 16.09.2020 2:41pm After the third drink, Amber expected to feel far more like herself. Such things however, were not the case as she stared through the bottom of a glass, that arguably should have been far cleaner than what it was, leaving her eyes aching and the distant throbbing headache she hadn’t been able to shoo away far more prevalent than it had any right to be. Maybe this was a mistake, trying to reach out and create connections- for the longest time she’d kept the walls higher than anyone dared to climb, the facade of thorns and ivy a blockade from real human connections and her perceived indifference a barrier to stop anyone seeing that she might have the remnants of something worth salvaging inside her chest. Whether it was the shredded remains of her heart, or a suspiciously misshapen piece of gum though was yet to be determined. Adrienne struck her curiously though, something about her drew Amber in despite her best efforts to remain distant. They travelled in very different circles, Amber had been doing this far too long while Adrienne was still relatively green despite her age, polar opposite ends of their careers… Amber really fucking liked her though, even if she couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Perhaps it was her genuine nature, her honesty in the face of an industry that had no use for such frivolities in it's upper echelons- or maybe just the sheer lack of anything resembling fear that reminded Amber of her own crude beginnings. Running her fingers through her ponytail idly, Amber lazily pushed the glass around the bar surface, procrastinating ordering another as the bartender did his best to disguise his annoyance and vague frustration. She’d been there an hour before messaging Adrienne that she was here, an hour and she’d only had three drinks- if she weren’t one of the only people there the bartender would have probably sent her on her way for wasting his time… A whole hour, most of which was spent trying to convince herself to just fucking hit send already. Nerves firing on all cylinders, Amber wasn’t even sure why she was nervous- if it could be defined as such- only that she hated it. Making friends Amber, she mused silently as the glass caught on the surface jarring slightly, why must you make this far more difficult than it needs to be… “Amber?” Adrienne had quietly entered the bar, scanning the area for the woman she’d up to this moment had only met in passing. Shared a few messages and the like. With all of her media appearances satisfied for the upcoming Chaos, she was hoping to just meet the person beyond her remarkable persona. Normally, she’d be one to talk to everyone about her agenda for the day. Where she was, who she was with … but this felt necessary to not share especially with how heated it seemed to be getting. Sitting a few stools apart from Amber, Adrienne had tried to get her attention a few times but was not loud enough to be heard above the ambience of their surroundings. She’d dressed a little better for this outing with a new Fallout Boy t-shirt, a new pair of jeans, and sneakers. That was about as formal as you’d get from her. “Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt you.” She said a little louder. Sweet girl. Polite too, which is a damn rarity in this place- Amber contemplated silently as she drew herself out of her hunch as though uncoiling into a slightly better posture while some satisfying pops and cracks emanated from her spine. Would it be rude to tell the girl she knew she was there the moment she walked in the door, that her footfalls gave her away and that Amber had simply taken the extra time to drag herself from the depths of her own psyche, somehow hoping that she might find something constructive and significant to say. “Not interrupting at all- get a bit lost in my thoughts sometimes while the rest of the world kinda passes me by.” Despite their casual passing in corridors and limited interactions on social media, this was the redheads first real time sizing up the newcomer, the upstart with potential beyond her years, the heir to the proverbial throne of ‘Carnage queens’ potentially… An inch taller but slimmer build, Adrienne reminded Amber of a praying mantis with her deceptive speed and skill, a killer instinct buried beneath what seemed to be layers and layers of pent up frustrations and something else- something that resonated behind her eyes, burning through everything that might try to free it from it's pride of place in her head. Curious indeed. “What's your poison chick- and before you attempt to argue… I extended the invitation so at least just let me cover this…” Money was the scourge of the industry, so many sought their fortune between the ropes thinking of the paydays and the infamy it might bring- however those particular specimens never lasted long, fame never came quick enough and their bank accounts went into overdraft instead of their expected overload. Anyone who wrestled purely for the money, wasn’t a real wrestler at all. Everyone in this godforsaken industry had a story, their reason for being and doing etched into their skin and buried deep in their hearts. Fuel, motivation, desire- take what you love and let it kill you… Although Amber doubted wrestling was what they had meant. Amber waved down the bartender with her right hand as he eyed her warily, her left staying firmly in her hoodie pocket as bandages tugged at the torn skin of her palm. His expectation of disappointment was written across his features long before he ever got close to the two women- hell, he could only imagine what he was thinking seeing Amber and Adrienne together- polar opposites and yet entirely alike in the same notion. Adrienne had dressed for the occasion while Amber was damn near lucky just to be wearing pants… Leaning up over the bar, Adrienne looked at the bottles on the shelves to see if anything caught her eye but she was out of her depth. Whatever didn’t empty her wallet went into her glass. “Oh, I don’t know.” She thought out loud. Looking out loud. Adrienne cast a side eye glance to Amber and smiled slightly. “I usually just down a cheap bottle of pink moscato and call it a night. But if you’re offering, I’ll try whatever you’re into.” Amber chuckled softly to herself with a small shake of the head, perhaps now wasn’t a good time to say that she’d consume anything with an alcohol level high enough to give her a buzz. Pink moscato, it explained a couple things to say the least. “Whatever I’m into, huh? Used to be more picky but these days... ” A vague gesture towards some bourbon bottles to one side followed, along with Amber clearing her throat slightly trying to find something to say… Converse like a real person. It couldn’t be that hard, right? “So… how's things?” Yeah, nailed it. Amber flashed what likely was intended to be a sincere smile, trying to cover up her own awkwardness in hopes that maybe it wasn’t as absurdly obvious as it sounded. “Well...” Adrienne trailed off. In the last few weeks, that could be considered a loaded question. Could be considered weird to just how things were really going. “I’m alright. Still getting adjusted to this city. How the air smells. That I don’t know where I’m going. Not that I’m complaining. It was worth it.” Her mind wandered through what could be the obvious answers to how Amber was doing these days. Personal and business issues seemed indistinguishable and sometimes Adrienne felt like she was in the middle as battle lines were being drawn. “You?” Two glasses materialized, half filled with broken ice cubes and part filled with a liquid almost dark gold and translucent, Amber found herself grateful if only for the fact she might now have something to wash away the bitter taste of her answer. “Well, if I can be completely blunt… Pretty terribly.” Amber rummaged in her pocket for a few moments, a deliberate move to avoid eye contact. Something about Adrienne's eyes seemed to capture far more than just the light, that perhaps at the right angle she might see straight through the redhead like she wasn't even there. A few crumpled notes ended up tossed casually onto the bar before Amber pushed her glass around a little as though unwilling to commit to the extra inebriation quite yet. “I guess that's the industry though. Ups, downs and everything in between… Everyone’s so busy at each other's throats at the moment that everything else seems far less important than it should. I’ll admit though, I’m a little surprised Knox was just willing to let you do this… Nice guy, a bit of a dick, definitely got a big mouth, but seems like he cares. God, that's a weird thought… that I might actually be considered ‘trustworthy’ to be around.” Without an extra seconds hesitation, Amber took up her glass while giving Adrienne a nod and downing the liquid in one- a cringe and a momentary shudder released some of the tension Amber had been holding as she cocked her head slightly looking back towards Adrienne. “If that isn’t a sign the worlds gone mad…” Adrienne sipped at her glass, doing her best to not let her present company know how much it burned going down. Probably failed there as she sputtered a little before taking another drink. The dark haired woman let Amber speak, listening intently. She however did want to clarify. “Matt’s a good person. He’s not my minder or anything like that but I understand what you mean.” However, she swung back around on Amber’s honesty. “I’m sorry with what is going on. I guess it's naive to hope that we could all be friends. I’ve held back on making too many declarations. I want ...maybe some of the stuff that is being talked about but not at the expense of others. Guess that makes me kinda dumb.” Swirling the contents in the glass, she continued, just audible enough for the person next to her. “Cuz you were world’s champion and you took a moment out of your time to notice me. It felt nice.” Sincerity was a rare thing in this world, far too often everyone spoke freely from both sides of their mouths trying to find the most advantageous side to fall in with. Adrienne hadn’t been tainted with that cynicism yet, perhaps something to remain hopeful for at least from Amber’s distorted perspective. “Yeah… were.” It stung worse than she dared let on, the constant reminders were hard enough. Innocent comments also cut deeper cause they weren’t intended to- Amber quickly regrouped though trying to shrug off the dark cloud trying to downpour on her conversation. “Truthfully, I don’t see any reason why people can’t be friends except for that pride and ambition tend to get in the way. Everyone has this view of the way everything is supposed to work, it's subjective and if it doesn’t match with what someone else believes then it's automatically deemed to be wrong. It doesn’t make you dumb though chicky, it makes you hopeful and it makes you optimistic that people can look past their own bullshit for two minutes and realize that there are far greater things to be upset over." Pushing her glass out of the way, Amber leaned a little closer to Adrienne for emphasis- her usual passive indifference making way for the flickers of a genuine smile. “Besides, world champion or not… I noticed you the moment you walked in the door. Being at the top shouldn’t make you ignorant, after all…” Adrienne returned the smile in kind. She had heard a lot of compliments lately. Either through experience or her own insecurities, they were always assessed as genuine. Ever since that strange lapse of judgment from Willis or honestly maybe before all of this. However, Amber had cut through the rookie mistakes and feelings of futility with simple assurances. “No, the one on top should inspire others.” Adrienne mused, “I appreciate the kind words. I started late and still have a lot to learn. Two left feet doesn’t help either but I’m figuring it out.” Trying her best to stop the self-depreciation, she laughed a little before taking a braver drink - finishing off the glass. “Whew, sorry. But Amber, I’ve listened to both sides. I guess there are two sides? I can’t profess to understand what happened in the past here. If I ever got too judgemental, I apologize.” If there weren’t a global pandemic, Amber might have hugged her. All this sweetness and decency made Adrienne far too good for this business already, like a better version of what Amber possibly could have been. “You’re doing just fine. Hell, better than fine- I wish I had this much success when I started… That and people around that were willing to help.” Amber knew she’d been in the business far too long, sure others had been a part of it longer but they hadn’t destroyed their bodies and their souls in quite the same way. She’d aged beyond her years and hurt beyond what anyone should- somehow sitting beside someone who hadn’t been a part of those traumas, who potentially didn’t know the full extent of her story was refreshing. A new point of view on a life that had grown tedious and difficult. “... and besides, you have nothing to apologize for. You’ve been honest and you’ve spoken thoughtfully when you have chimed in- it's not like you’ve jumped on social media and discredited anyone’s lifes work recently, you know?” An attempt at humour fell flat on it's face, perhaps a little more on the nose than she’d intended. Twitter had become a quagmire of opinions, well more than usual, and the redhead had grown tired quickly of the toxicity. If she wanted to feel like she was being poisoned and suffocated at the same time, she’d have stayed in her hotel room drinking. “Yeah, that sounded funnier in my head…” Alcohol had helped open the floodgates and Amber knew she was speaking possibly far too honestly to someone likely unsure how to react. It was easy to forget how green Adrienne was still, the inner workings and the people behind the larger than life facades still fascinating rather than straight up disappointing. Adrienne chuckled at the redhead’s quip. “I learned my lesson with that Twitter thing.” Spurning on Alex Winter had only seemingly created a monster. Nothing she could do for that now. Or elsewhere how misunderstandings had blown into legitimate issues. “If I do anything, once I get bored, I go do something else. Some of these guys always seem to be looking for attention so I’m happy to leave them hanging.” Pausing, Adrienne realized that was a little mean. Her cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment. “Oops.” A little mischief went a long way, Amber found herself genuinely tickled more at Adrienne's reaction to her own comment than the actual statement itself. “Man, I love how new you still are… Sorry, that might sound a little condescending and I promise I don’t mean it that way. Just the fact you still worry and care about saying mean things about people who obviously deserve it kinda reminds me what it's like to start over I guess. It's real easy to get lost in how serious this all is all the time- for most people it's a dream or it's their life, others it's a means for survival, the reason they still walk this proverbial mortal coil. Doesn’t mean we all have to be miserable, unless it's our own making…” Amber hit herself hard with her own words as they tumbled forth. Adrienne was easy to talk to, Amber didn’t care if she was being judged or perceived as anything outside of the ‘reputation’ that had been cultivated around her. For some reason, it was just nice to not feel so fucking hateful- even just for a little while. “We all do this for our own reasons. Some good and inspirational and some, well some not so much… We all got a story, and some of them just don’t get a happy ending. So, what's yours… And I don’t mean the stuff in promos trying to hype a match and the things we want everyone to know cause it makes us sound cooler than we actually are…” It was Amber's turn to look straight through her companion, studying the little involuntary twitches and subtle eye movements as the gears turned. “Why this… and why now…”. Adrienne’s mind went through a normal catalogue of stock answers. The one’s she’d been giving out to her friends even. There was one meeting with Zane but even then, it was only a piece. Through all of this honestly, she felt that she owned Amber a little more than… “So yeah, I’ve been in this industry since I was nineteen, Amber.” She turned to Amber to meet the gaze. Her force of habit was to not look people in the eyes. Sometimes it was a scary proposition. “I was an accessory. In a lot of ways.” Her voice wavered on that admission. Silvio knew as much but she wasn’t sure that he’d grasp exactly what she meant besides the obvious terror of it all. Something made Adrienne consider that this would be heard and understood more so, “I started training out of spite over a year ago.” Adrienne put her hand on the bar. The ringless finger was still alien to her. She’d let go, sure, but well, Amber asked. “I’m not sure if I even liked doing this. I just wanted to show my husband that I could do it. Maybe even better than he did.” She said in an unsure manner, “But, well, Danny’s dead and I’m guessing he isn’t in the position to care much anymore.” Normally she’d be ashamed at the slight grin she gave off but Adrienne Levi was done living in that boy’s shadow. “But that’s changed. I love doing this more than anything I ever have before. It’s finally something that’s mine.” Amber paused briefly, sensing the mixture of emotions radiating. Sadness and grief mixed with a certain sense of relief. Freedom in spite of it's cost, a feeling Amber had fought and lost against more times than she wanted to remember. “Sounds to me that you’re in a better place now.” Another pause, though this time more thoughtful. “I’m certainly not one to speak ill of the dead or anything- but I get the feeling that maybe it was the best thing that could have happened to you. Fuck, I didn’t mean it to sound that harsh…” Rubbing her temple slightly, Amber tried to regroup her thoughts in a way that didn’t sound like she was being callous and basically a total ass. Adrienne shook her head, reassuring Amber was just fine in what she was saying. “Look, the way I see it is that sometimes the worst things in our lives are blessings down the line. Without those things, we can’t become something better… You said it yourself, you were an accessory. With him around you were never going to blossom and in his proverbial wake- you’re far more than you were previously destined for. Death and pain- it sucks, we both know that far better than we probably have any right to. Yet here we are… Living, breathing and arguably successful in varying degrees. If that's not the best middle finger to give to everything shitty that's ever happened then I don’t know what is.” Amber’s tone softened, her own recollections flooding through her fractured mind and moulded into something almost fragile. “We don’t always get to move on, sometimes we just can’t darl… But we can try.”

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

(VIII½ )

   In the stillness of the night, Adrienne was restless. Her mind was running at a million miles per hour thinking about the possibilities. Career perspectives, her friends, her situation, whatever - it flittered all over the place with no rhyme or reason. For every happy thought towards her first every championship opportunity, her mind wandered into how Zane King tore into Matthew Knox after everything should have been over. How Silvio was able to stop it. How the match should have never happened in the first place.    Her eyes glazed over as she hopped from Wiki to Wiki on various topics. From dead rockstars to the origins of Jello, the recent birthday girl consumed it all with a casual interest while bundled up in a blanket on her friend’s couch.    Kohaku’s couch didn’t smell like cat urine. Or have a spring that poked her in the back. It was all rather nice. He was rather nice. They all have been. Adrienne struggled mightily with the concept that she was rather pathetic. The choice had been made and there was no going back. Not that she wanted to.    The phone buzzed and a text notification from Discord popped up. GlitterBombGold Hey. :waves: Been a minute but remembered it was your birthday.    Strange.    Adrienne clicked on the window and the chat filled the screen. She didn’t make a habit of speculating on about the whereabouts of casual internet acquaintances. “GlitterBombGold” had been someone she had chatted with heavily through the empty spaces of the day. Starting as mutual members of a server that primarily discussed wrestling, they progressed to talking about Disney or their respective cats.    Oh, poor Jimmy.    And then around May, right around the time Adrienne had bottomed out, GlitterBombGold had left every group they were both a part of and had just disappeared. Adrienne had just explained what she’d been training for the last year and before she could mention that at that time no one was really interested - GlitterBombGold had stopped replying. Had seemingly signed off for good.    That happened all the time on the internet. LemonAde It has been. And yeah, yesterday. GlitterBombGold Happy belated b-day, hope it was fun.  Yeah, sorry I ghosted like that. I should have at least told you I was going, it's just... been a thing. LemonAde You said you were in the hospital end of January for a while. I dunno. You were gone a while then, too so I figured it may have been something like that. I haven't been on much myself. Chats just got toxic without you in there. GlitterBombGold I'm sorry LemonAde its ok. just wondered what happened is all. I thought I made you mad tbh. GlitterBombGold No no nonononoooooo. Not at all. I... mmph. I can tell you what happened if you want. I kinda owe you that much after vanishing without a word. LemonAde up to you. GlitterBombGold The truth is... okay I didn't lie, I've been a wrestling fan since approximately age fetus, but... I guess what I didn't tell you is that I was a wrestler myself. LemonAde you're saying "was". GlitterBombGold Yeah.  A few months ago I hurt my leg real bad during a match and the dr. said I couldn't do it anymore. It was all I ever wanted to do and i couldn't do it anymore. And without that i couldn't afford my apartment, had to move back home, and now i'm a secretary and i hate it. ...sorry to dump all that on you.    Adrienne’s breath caught as she read the reply. Considering what the last week had been like, it sent shivers down her spine. With this having her full attention, Adrienne sat up with the phone held tightly with both hands. LemonAde its okay, so bad timing on my part. i'm sorry this happened to you. GlitterBombGold Thanks. But yeah that's why I left, i didn't feel like I'd be the most cheerful person to talk with and I didn't feel like talking much anyway. I might come back to the Disney chat and stuff soon but... I don't think I could come back to the wrestling chat. Too painful. LemonAde thats up to you. so you told me about you a little. unless you'd rather not i could trade you. it could help... GlitterBombGold Oh, I'd like that. I mean i've talked about myself way too much. :oP LemonAde so uh, i mean i guess i'm doing what you did. im not trying to brag or anything but i mean, I've been in the industry so to speak since I was 19. never got a chance to do >that< until was 32 tho. GlitterBombGold Oh! Were you a manager or something? LemonAde kind of. valet was the "official" term. but i handled all of the behind the scenes stuff. GlitterBombGold Is it okay if I ask who you were working with? You don't have to tell me if you don't want, I'm just being nosey. LemonAde just with my ex husband in Clearwater. we weren't ever on TV or anything like that. We were in San Jose for a hiccup but didn't work out. GlitterBombGold Aw, I'm sorry. LemonAde its ok. i'm glad for that. GlitterBombGold I guess actually getting to play is a lot more rewarding than sitting on the sidelines. I... I worked for the big guys, but for their indie division. I wasn't there a whole ton of time. Long enough to make friends, least I thought so. LemonAde funny how that sort of thing works out. look gimmie a second but I wanna get this all out here. it might be a stretch so ..i mean cut me off if its too much. GlitterBombGold No, I wordbarfed on you already, by all means return the favor :0P LemonAde so we are both in the brotherhood... or whatever. was or is, you always are. GlitterBombGold Or sisterhood :oP Sorry, continue LemonAde oh, me too. so i got hired to this place in Baltimore. they get some play on local channels and i'm pretty sure fans record the shows and put them on youtube. they're the only place that didn't laugh at my audition tape. the trainer left in the part where I tripping trying to do a dropkick. GlitterBombGold Oooh owch >.o But I'm glad someone listened.    Adrienne had been talking to well, her and a few others as a recommendation. Not that particular but it was said that she should make friends. There were no friends in Clearwater. Everyone knew her for her previous association and she was certainly guilty for it.        There was this comfortable barrier here. She could GlitterBombGold at arm’s length. Something she couldn’t do with the myriad of issues confronting her about Knox. Or Ko. Or Silvio. Despite their warm attitudes - there were things that she couldn’t even share. So she reached out. LemonAde not many do. so this is going to sound weird. so i should like introduce myself like for real. I'm Adrienne. and if you would like, i have one comp ticket to a show my company is putting on October 12th. Carnage Wrestling. So if you'd like to sit in the crowd for a night. You'd have to arrange your own travel and stuff but you can use my discounts...or something. i don't know who i was going to give this to. probably just give it back so ... i mean if this is just weird or out of place, forget it. GlitterBombGold ...wow... I... O////O I've been trying to avoid wrestling since the accident. Like I put all my toys and posters and stuff into a box and the box is in the attic. I haven't watched anything and this is the first I've really talked about it at length. But... ...yeah. My name is Silvie and I think I'd really like to come. LemonAde Silvie, its like 3 am here so I need to get some sleep but lets do a video call tomorrow..or later today, if thats ok? Share some info. Make sure we're both cool, you know what I mean? GlitterBombGold Sounds super duper. I'm pretty beat myself. But I'm really glad we talked LemonAde i am too. maybe we can watch Tangled if you'd like. its been forever since we watched that. or ... chatted while watching...you know what I mean. GlitterBombGold I'D LOVE THAT OwO LemonAde cool. night, Silvie.    Setting down the phone, Adrienne then laid her head back down on the pillow squished against the arm of the couch. Doing her best to clear her my mind of all pressing matters, she closed her eyes...

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

Chaos 98

written by Knox

Johnny Vegas: And the shit show just continues for Trent, the stupid prick, Steel, huh? Terra Skye: Oh, whatever. I'm more curious about those phone-calls that CSJ was making on Trent's behalf. Johnny Vegas: Probably lawyers or some shit. Who knows. Terra Skye: You're a fucking moron. Anyway, before this match starts, I'd like to touch on what we just heard from Adrienne Levi. I just love this young lady. She has the right attitude about this industry. Boy: GROWING ORANGES! Johnny Vegas: Yeah, yeah... She's the statue of virtue.. Let's just see how 'humble' and 'gracious' she is when she's going for her first title. Terra Skye: Well whether she and the Dragon Lady win or lose this match, they'll be at least fighting for a chance at the Chaos title or the Baltimore City title. Same goes for Eli and Steve. But it looks like it's about ready to start! DING DING Levi pats Dragon Lady on the shoulder before stepping out onto the apron, opposite their opponents. Goode starts out the contest for his team with Matthews stepping out onto the apron. Mameha takes a seat on the ring steps, folding her dainty hands into her lap as she observes. She pays Dragon Lady a quick shout of encouragement as Dragon Lady and Goode meet in the middle of the ring, and lock up. Terra Skye: These four are definitely in line for a unique opportunity! Tonight, as teams they fight for the opportunity to fight one another for either a title or a shot at a title Johnny Vegas: Yep, Winners fight for the Baltimore title at 100 and next week the Losers fight to take on Thor at Chaos 100 for the Chaos title. Terra Skye: IF Thor beats Harry. Johnny Vegas: He will. Goode gets the upper hand and takes Dragon Lady down with an arm drag. She kips up and charges back in only for Goode to take her down with another arm drag but this time, he holds on and drives a knee into the side of her head as he locks an arm bar in. Before the ref can get in to check on Dragon Lady, she pushes herself to her feet and nimbly flips against the arm bar, and frees herself from Goode before promptly nailing him in the chest with a Yakuza kick, then floors him by bouncing off the ropes and hitting Goode with a scissor kick!! Johnny Vegas: This bitch! Ref that kick could concuss someone!! Terra Skye: It's wrestling, Johnny. Johnny Vegas: I know! and Dragon bitch is tarnishing it's good reputation! Dragon Lady goes and tags Levi in, and the two lift Goode up before nailing him with a double DDT. Matthews gets in and charges the ladies then, going for a double clothesline but they duck and nail Matthews with stereo super kicks! Dragon Lady lifts Matthews up and tosses him over the top rope, before following him out and stepping onto the apron in her corner. Matthews gets up and painfully makes his way to his own corner, climbing on the apron and snatching the tag rope. Levi meanwhile has gone for the pin! Boy: SHOULDERS DOWN ASS UP THATS THE WAY WE LIKE T-- Terra Skye: BOY!! MANNERS! ONE TWO Eli Goode kicks out!! Levi gets to her feet, pulling Goode with her. She whips him into a corner and charges after him, going for a clothesline but Goode ducks underneath and locks in the Goodenight! Levi almost instantly grabs onto the ropes but Eli makes no move to break it! The ref starts yelling and trying to pry Eli off, reaching 4 before Matthews pulls his opponent off to evade DQ. Eli drops Levi and follows Steve to his corner, tagging Matthews in! Levi gets to her feet, favoring her shoulder and neck from the impact and chokehold but is met with a big spear by Matthews! He begins raining forearms down onto Levi’s head. He gets to his feet and pulls Levi with him. Johnny Vegas: There you go Eli! Kick that loser's ass! Terra Skye: She literally beat him last show. And what the hell was Eli doing holding on to that hold through a rope break?! Its like he doesn't care about this match! Johnny Vegas: Fluke win! And Eli can do whatever the fuck he wants! Matthews nails her with a snap suplex, rolls his hips and pulls Levi up with him before hitting another snap suplex! He then lifts her and holds her vertically as the legion cheers at the display of strength. He turns to Goode and shouts, at him. Goode gets the message and hops onto the top rope and launches from there to nail Levi with a spear! He rolls out of the ring after the spear brings Levi and Matthews down with a high impact suplex! Matthews goes for the pin Johnny Vegas: Here we go! Eli is goin to fight for the Baltimore City Championship! ONE! TWO! TH--NO! Johnny Vegas: NO! CHEATING DRAGON SKANK!! Dragon Lady breaks the pin up just in the nick of time! She returns to her corner and begins cheering for Levi, extending her hand into the ring. Goode lifts Levi up, and goes to whip her into his corner but Levi manages to reverse it, sending Goode crashing into his corner! Matthews tags himself in as Levi leaps and tags in Dragon Lady!! Terra Skye: Here we go, hot tags! What a match, lets see how it ends!! Dragon Lady leaps over the top rope and instantly goes to work on Steve Matthews! She lands hard lefts and rights as Matthews tries his best to cover up. But Dragon Lady busts through his block with a hard european uppercut! She then kicks Matthews in the gut, snatches him in a side headlock and nails him with “Breathe Fire”!! She rolls on top of him, as Levi charges across the ring and spears Goode off the apron! Johnny Vegas: NO! CHEATER! THE LOSER IS CHEATING! Terra Skye: Breathe fire! She's got the leg hooked! Boy: BANGBUST DOT COM One! Two!! Three!! DING DING DING!! Kelly Carmichael: Here are your winners, The Dragon Lady and Adrienne Levi!!! Johnny Vegas: WHAT?! Terra Skye: What a match! But really, there aren't any losers here tonight because while Adrienne and Dragon Lady are going to be moving on to fight against one another for the vacated Baltimore City Championship - Eli and Steve will be going up against one another at Chaos 99 for a chance at whomever is the Chaos champion at Chaos 100! Johnny Vegas: Bunch of bitches... I swear. Boy: SEVENTY BANANAS ALL IN A ROW! Terra Skye: Johnny, quit being so bitter. I know it's hard, but please... Try. Johnny Vegas: I WILL NOT! Terra Skye: Ugh. We'll be back in a few, folks!

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

...everything just falls into place.

OOC: thedragonlady , thanks for collabing with me on this!   

World Fitness Gym    Adrienne eyed the slip of paper, and the address was right. The large brick building looked like one she Googled earlier. Well, at least she hoped it was the right place because her Uber was long gone. Wearing a Carnage Insider t-shirt, black leggings, and her New Balances, she was ready for a workout if all else failed. Her backup was slung over her shoulder, filled with a change of clothes. The reception area of the gym was empty. The little juice bar was unstaffed.    “Okay.” She murmured before continuing into the main area. It was a large room with blue mats. The fluorescent tubes overhead were turned off, so the only light coming into the room was from the large glass windows around the area. Even then, it looked conspicuous at best.    “Anyone here?”    A hand reached high in order to tap Levi on the shoulder. As she did so, she said, "Hello again."    And for the second time this week, Adrienne nearly jumped out of her shoes, omitting a noise not so dissimilar to a mouse squeaking. However, she recognized the voice as her partner and so didn’t make any more rash movements. She turned around slowly, her eyes adjusted to the dark to see the form of The Dragon Lady.    “Oh, good,” she said with a fair amount of relief, “I thought I went to the wrong gym. But you’re The Dragon Lady, so I got it right. Go me, I guess. Oh, I’m sorry, hello to you as well.”    The Dragon Lady had, of course, been aware Adrienne might show up sometime soon, but with no phone call or a tweet to warn her, she is without a mask on. Adrienne would be the first to see The Dragon Lady up close and personal. She would look a lot more normal then per usual. On her face is a natural look. No makeup sat there. Her blue eyes would look a little less troubled than the last time these two had met. She was barefoot and wore black leggings with a plain black tank on.    "Why don't you come this way? Let me introduce you to Mameha." She began leading Adrienne, a whole different side of The Dragon Lady is definitely present.    Adrienne nodded. The idea of stepping into the unknown, to open her eyes to new possibilities made her nervous and excited at the same time. The Dragon Lady represented a strength that Adrienne felt she could never measure to. She did her best to remain calm and collected as not to give away how giddy she was at the prospect of meeting someone new, someone possibly very special in her new partner’s life. She followed The Dragon Lady at a respectful distance, her hands behind her back.    "I'm sorry it's so quiet in here today. The owner of the gym insisted he help Mameha and me with a little project out back." They would walk past a few punching bags hanging from the ceiling as Mameha came into view. She was wearing a kimono. This time it was a shade of light pinks with small flowers here and there as designs.    Adrienne kept her awe in check. It was totally rude to stare. Unsure if to shake her hand or hug, she kept her hands to herself. She could go for a good hug, but she didn’t want to seem weird, “Hello. I’m Adrienne.”    Mameha would grace Adrienne with a warm smile. Her eyes moved between The Dragon Lady and Levi. "So this is the first tag partner you have gotten. I am Mameha. Pleased to meet you." She bowed her head slightly as a hello.    Her eyes stayed just on Adrienne now. "I must say, you look wonderful, especially after your last win. Would you care to drink some tea? I brewed it myself." A cast iron tea set is sitting on a table low to the ground. A pillow sat on each side of it for comfort.    “Certainly, Mameha.”    Adrienne sat down gingerly on the pillow. Her knee was a little sore from the impact of the backflip she attempted on Eli Goode. Her knee inadvertently impacted his shoulder, and perhaps he was worse for wear. Accepting the tea graciously, she enjoyed the scent and then set it aside briefly to cool a tad bit more. She didn’t want to embarrass her hosts by burning her tongue.    “Thank you.”    The Dragon Lady took a seat next to Adrienne and took a slow sip from her little glass cup. Mameha would have sat down across from Adrienne as to get a feel for her. Her eyes never left Adrienne's, but the stare she gave was not as intense as the Dragon Lady's. She would look wise and almost as if she were in deep thought.    "The tea is a lavender tea. Meant to soothe the spirit. Now, I know Pe-" Mameha almost name dropped The Dragon Lady's true name, "I mean The Dragon Lady isn't always upfront about what needs to be said. So I shall say it straight. What is on your mind today? How do you feel about this match you and The Dragon Lady are to fight in together?"    Adrienne remembered how Matt Knox just outright asked The Dragon Lady about her real name. Her brain twitched a little as the quick correction, but she also remembered the insistence of that exact name to be used. She understood. Her mind moved to Mameha’s inquiry.    “I’m excited.” Adrienne said softly. “This is the first time I’ve had an opportunity like this. I know what that opportunity possibly leads to, but that’s the nature of the sport, right?”    Taking a sip of the lavender tea, she considered something else. She didn’t want to linger on the what-ifs.    “I’m encouraged by The Dragon Lady’s confidence.” Realizing she was being a little rude to the person sitting right next to her, she stated, “I’m sorry, I mean your confidence. You make me believe that we can really do this. Eli Goode and Steve Matthews are great, but you totally make me think we can overcome their experience.”    The Dragon Lady stayed quiet. Taking in what Adrienne has said. Mameha, on the other hand continued to chit chat. "You say a lot about what can be accomplished in the ring. And don't apologize, dear. You have said nothing rude at all. The Dragon Lady deals with a lot more from me than anyone else."    She chuckled and took a sip of her tea. After setting the cup down, she looked Adrienne eye to eye. "What is it you wish to accomplish? No, not accomplish. The better word is, prove? Not to me or your partner. But yourself." Mameha smiled then and reached for one of Adrienne's hands and squeezed. "That is not something you need to answer me on. That is something for you to answer to yourself."    Mameha let go of Adrienne's hand then and said. "Perhaps now would be a good time to think about a strategy? Wouldn't the both of you agree?" The Dragon Lady nodded her head and looked at Adrienne with a more serious look there on her face now. She isn't angry looking. She just looks motivated.    Adrienne had to think about this. She could give her standard answer, and a few months ago, it’d still be correct. But that influence had been removed. Looking inward, she wasn’t sure. Maybe her confused expression gave that away.    “So, uh, my strategy. I’m not sure. You’re right, though. We can’t go into this without a thought as to how to do this. I’m not that strong, so I can maybe tell you how I approach any opponent I face. I know that I’m most likely not going to get the upper hand with a direct approach.” Adrienne said this with a smile. “Instead, I do a lot of research. I watch a lot of videos to see what my opponent likes to do, and I try to think of the best ways to counter.”    She knew she was getting a little in the weeds with this example, but she hoped it helped.    “I know a guy like Steve will want to toss me around, so I try to see if I reverse that with something that turns the tables. Like my tornado DDT. I try to do it like a surprise.” Her voice got a little louder as she finally got what she was trying to say here. “We need to surprise them. Take them out of their element. Disrupt their perfect technical styles.”    Adrienne abruptly stopped. She was somewhat embarrassed that she talked that much about her thought process. Taking a sip of her tea, she hoped she didn’t annoy her company.    "A wise technique you have, Adrienne," Mameha said, nodding her head in approval.    "Well, you have more experience than me in the ring," The Dragon Lady replied. "I guess for myself; I have been trying to find my opponent’s weaknesses. And exploit them. I have also been trying to use my biggest strength to my advantage. I'm quick on my feet."    Mameha sat there, listening for a moment. Then she stood and walked to the center of the closest blue foam mat. "Dragon Lady. Rope. Adrienne stand at one end of the mat if you wouldn't mind." The Dragon Lady did as Mameha said and grabbed a long workout rope and would begin laying it across the mat. No use questioning Mameha's tactics.    Adrienne complied, waiting for instruction. Maybe this would be more productive than the last time Matt trained her and he sat in a lawn chair reading Motor Trend while practicing leapfrogging Bert. Who happened to be for whatever reason.    “Alright. What would you like me to do?”    "The proper question is what would I like the two of you to do together," Mameha said, stepping from the mat’s center towards one side. "Each of you are to pick up an end of the rope with your hands. And move together."    The Dragon Lady picked up her ends of the rope and waited. She had a playful smile on her face as getting someone to train with besides Mameha has not happened yet. Adrienne picked up her end of the rope as well.    The Dragon Lady began doing alternating waves from her side of the mat after Mameha said, "Alternating waves. And feel the strength from each other. Feel it flow back and forth."    The Dragon Lady would start off mild as that playful smile was still there on her face. After a moment she began moving quick and putting more force into the movement, enough to perhaps catch Adrienne off guard. The taller woman’s arms felt like spaghetti as The Dragon Lady controlled the pace. She gritted her teeth with determination to keep hold of her piece. White knuckle tight, Adrienne tried to match the opposite end with all of the strength she could muster, unsure of what effect that had.    The Dragon Lady was sweating at this point. All but perhaps ten minutes have passed, and it would look as if The Dragon Lady almost lost her footing as her feet slowly spread a bit further apart. At some point, the two women would look to be matching each other with a most concise science.    "There it is," Mameha said sounding proud of both women. "This rope is like life. There is always a constant pull and struggle, but at some point, everything just falls into place. You may stop the exercise." She gave them permission. This just ten-minute exercise had The Dragon Lady out of breath, for it seemed more like thirty. She dropped her rope and begins shaking out her arms with a smile beamed at Adrienne.    “That was fun,” Adrienne said while trying to catch her breath. She returned the smile in kind. “I’m thinking you do that a lot, huh?”    "Yes," The Dragon Lady said as she walked over, her arms still feeling the burn. "But it's not always this much fun."    Mameha would walk over to the two women; she did something The Dragon Lady would no way have thought of to do at this moment. Mameha brought both ladies in close for a hug wrapping an arm around each of them. "Now you two are going to be great out in that ring. You show them boys whose boss."    The Dragon Lady would almost appear to struggle away for a moment and then gave in, resting her head on Mameha's shoulder closest to her. Her arm closest to Adrienne would lightly press against Adrienne's back. Mameha was surely better at trying to make friends then The Dragon Lady. Adrienne went all in, almost melting into the embrace. It was one thing to hang out with the guys. Ko, Sil, Mitch, and Matt were all swell. But Carnage was full of strong women. But The Dragon Lady was arguably the fiercest. And yet, she balanced that with a kindness that Adrienne guessed she was hiding for her own reasons.    “I’ll do my best, Mameha,” Adrienne said this clearly with more confidence than she usually allowed.

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

(VIII)

Seven hundred eighty-five dollars. Win or lose, that was the amount Adrienne Levi was guaranteed after every appearance with Carnage Wrestling.    And then the bonus during her four-match winning streak was four hundred eighteen dollars per.    Maybe two hundred dollars worth of sold merchandise each show, but then she had to subtract how much it cost even to get made--    Adrienne buried her face into the crook of her elbow. Her Clearwater apartment had become a little sparse as a result of a recent liquidation. Maybe that was done in haste. Someone would have paid something for that ridiculous belt even just to melt it down.    Spread across her kitchen counter, she stared at the pile of papers her mom usually helped with.    This was pathetic, she knew.    If she added this up all right, her pay and her expenses put her in the red: the plane trips, the Ubers, accommodations, bills, and a lease that was expiring very soon. Nathaniel Grant’s fun money had long dried up, and Levi had no one to blame except herself on that. She was a pretender. She was living it up in luxury hotels, wasting money on fancy dinners with her friends, and just really dumb purchases. Like the billboard ad near the Carnage Arena that had that doodle of Insidious with the caption Empire of Dorks.    Not to mention the exposed clandestine meeting between Christopher St. James and Stan Summers, where they discussed their intentions and measured her value as expendable.    With all of this mounting, it was becoming more apparent what she had to do. It was the logical choice. The realistic choice. The only choice.    Scrolling through her business cellphone’s contact list, she hovered over Carnage Wrestling Front Office. Hesitating and delaying the inevitable, Adrienne looked through all of the new friends she had made. All of the people who believed in her. This past summer had been one of the happiest ones of her life. Adrienne considered calling Silvio Leon, but he seemed to have his hands full with a new arrival: Axton Gunn. Oh, she was a huge fan. So huge that she almost cried when he followed her on Twitter. She had all three of his albums, including a signed copy of SKULLFRACTURES that she had sniped an eBay auction for. And yet, things seem complicated and pretty much none of her business. She didn’t want to pile on.    And Matt Knox was so buried in his hatred for Zane King that he was sort of scary these days. His propensity towards committing acts of violence wouldn’t solve this issue. Christopher St. James being in a body cast didn’t diminish his ownership of Carnage Wrestling. Not only that, but he’d also already done too much for her.    Mitch Heart seemed distant. Rumor had it that he was dealing with his own plethora of difficulties.    That left Kohaku Fujihara. They had conversed sparingly. Last month, he’d been dealing with these peculiar family issues, but he’d come out of it okay. Behind this charming exterior, he seemed to have this abundance of wisdom that was beyond his years.    She pressed Call.    “Hello?”    Adrienne almost considered hanging up. Her finger hovered over End Call.    “Moshi-moshi? Ade, that you? I see your name, so it’s either you or some creep who swiped her phone.”    Instead, she touched the Speaker icon, finally piping up. “Yeah, it’s me. Sorry. Is this a bad time?”    “No, not at all, I’m literally doing nothing but flipping through Netflix and wondering why nothing in thousands of options looks good. What’s up?”    Her eyes welled up at the thought of confessing to Kohaku. He didn’t seem his chipper self, but she had to tell someone. Trying her best to keep her tone neutral, she still wavered. “I have to leave Carnage.”    Silence on the other end.    “I have to leave because I can’t afford it anymore. And I don’t think the new person in charge likes me very much. I saw something with him and some other guy that scared me. I’m on some sort of list.”    Her words became disjointed and seemingly a million miles per hour as she choked back the tears.    “I tried. I really tried, but I guess it’s over. All of the offers I ever get are gross. And Carnage is the only place that gave me a chance but now that guy isn’t owner anymore. And all of my money is gone. And I wanted to move, but I can’t. I can’t just keep mooching off others. That’s all I’ve been doing. But my mom said I could probably be a receptionist at the clinic she works at. Just have to pass a drug test. I just have to move on from this--”    “Ade.”    The voice on the other end is gentle, understanding, and steady.    “First off, I want you to breathe, okay? Just take a few deep breaths.”    Kohaku paused, giving her time to do so before continuing.    “Alright. This is the part where a lot of people would freak out and start begging you not to go. I’m not going to do that. I’m not because, while of course, I want you to stay, this is something you have to decide for yourself.”    She reached for a tissue, wiping away the sobbing mess she had become.    “I don’t know what to do. These people depend on me or look up to me, but I’m not the person they think I am. You guys have been so nice to me, but maybe I’m the problem. I finally have a match that is actually for something and I don’t even have the means to make it.” Standing up, she hefted the cellphone in her hand. She spoke a little calmer now. “I promised my partner to meet her. If I lie to her, she’ll hate me forever and--”    “Okay. Tell you what. I know you don’t want to depend too much on charity, but is it alright if I spot you a plane ticket out here? I think we oughta be talking about this face to face. You can crash at my apartment. The place is practically a giant fancy cave. Is that okay?”    There she was, depending on another handout. But Silvio had said much the same thing. Knox, too. And here was another friend saying that she had to stand up for herself. There was a long pause from her as she stared at her wallet on the counter. The Queen of Swords card peeked out from the bifold.    “You still there?”    “Yeah.”    Adrienne considered his offer. It was the only way she’d make the next Chaos. She had already told her mom that she’d drop by the clinic later. Angie wasn’t a dream killer here. She promised her daughter that she could try again in a few years. Maybe find a closer company to work in.    That was the responsible thing to do.    Surveying her apartment, everything that was hers could fit in her backpack.    “Tonight?”    “Yeah, I can do that, should be able to find something. I’ve got you.”    “Okay.”    At 5:28 PM, Adrienne boarded a Southwest flight to Baltimore.    She’d never see Clearwater again.        Standing in front of a ginormous glass panel window, Adrienne admired the view of the Inner Harbor. She’d been all over this place the last few months but seeing it on such a grand scale put it into perspective. Everywhere Adrienne had been meant so much. Whether it was the spectacular victory at the MECU Pavilion or how Silvio Leon gave her that little glimmer of hope with a simple card, she would never forget. With her hands in her jeans pockets, she rocked gently back and forth on the heels of her bare feet.    “This is my first big chance.” Pausing, she considered the arrogance that could be attached to such a statement. Her back was to the camera, so her determined yet still soft voice was the only indicator of her tone. She continued much the same. “Not to say the others weren’t.”    Turning around, Adrienne leveled her gaze at the camera. Her normal cheery disposition was replaced by one that seemed to be more morose. The Starfox t-shirt she had on was a size too big, but she preferred it that way.    “A lot of folks here, they get their foot in the door and they’ve already staked claim to what they perceive is theirs. Almost like they’re entitled to it. Just because of who they are or what they’ve managed to achieve in the past.”    She crossed her arms over her chest, her expression lilting to contemplation.    “I could declare that I want to be the greatest champion this company has ever seen. I could say my name would ring through this vaunted hall of fame once I decide to hang up the boots.” Shaking her head, she followed up with a slight smile. “That just isn’t me. I don’t know what I’m going to accomplish here. Maybe all of the potential I have is just that. So I approach these opportunities a little differently. I see what is on the horizon. I see the allure of the gold.”    For a moment, Adrienne’s dark brown eyes seemed dazzled at the possibilities. Or perhaps it was just imagined.    “But right now, there is only the chance. One cobbled together with fragile partnerships with all intentions towards implosion if it meant that something more substantial was on the line. Seems common with this sport. My opponents are both well versed in being champions. They are consummate athletes. Perennial contenders. Always striving towards their next achievement.” She conceded to this with a slight shrug before continuing. “This is a competition, right?”    Her thoughts moved onto Steve Matthews. Carnage’s Ace. The Technical Master. He had come into this company with the same fire and fury every long time veteran managed to conjure until they learned a little humility or just evaporated when they realized that not many cared about that championship they won twelve years ago.    However, something irked Adrienne just a little, and so her voice became a little less friendly.    “Steve, maybe I should be happy that you finally saw the error of your ways. I had mentioned prior to our previous encounter that I found you lacking of any real convictions. I found you to be opportunistic. You stood by as your partner threatened to choke me with the caveat that I may like it. You quibbled and cringed at his tactics and put up a good argument after the victory slipped from your grasp, but it seemed to be a minor agitation. It was only until Alex Winter put you in a precarious situation that you truly realized what type of person he is. Alex is a little boy, angry at the world for his inadequacies, and he will always point the finger at those who are in his way. His toxic masculinity created this illusion of persecution, where he couldn’t just apologize and move on. His fragile ego blamed others for his athletic shortcomings. And at WAR, he concluded that through your suffering, he could embrace that he possessed no redeemable qualities and get ahead in this world,” She paused and then quipped. “Behold, the age-old tale of man.”    Her hands gestured vaguely into the air as if she were showing off a new wondrous invention. She wasn’t sure. She googled public speaking, and it said that hand gestures were cool to do. Or something like that.    “And so here you are. Good guy Steve. Flashing your pearly whites, bringing cookies for everyone. That was real sweet, so I want to believe you. I want to believe that maybe your personal struggles have made you turn a new leaf. However, it seemed rather easy for JC to get on your bad side because he didn’t, well, talk about you enough. He didn’t appeal to your mastery of this sport because he was too tied up in his own to care. He got into your head and nearly took it off with that huge boot of his.”    She held up two fingers.    “That should have been your second lesson in humility. I don’t have the track record of JC. And I’m sure not willing to do the things Alex did to secure a victory. However, judging by your partner’s words lately, maybe he would be if it meant … just one more shot.”    Pacing back and forth in front of the grand window, Adrienne now pondered about Eli Goode. An opponent she had just become familiar with, she knew that he hungered to recapture championship glory.    “Hey, Eli.” She said as she waved at him just like last time. “Other than some somber musings, you haven’t been on the radar much. Seems like you don’t have much going for you lately. You didn’t help Kyra by becoming Ultraviolent Champion. I didn’t become a small sacrifice for your latest ascension to champion’s row. And worst of all, your idol Jack Michaels stole your thunder by taking your World’s title shot and your chance to punish Ken Davison.”    She found Jack Michaels to be self-righteous and arrogant. The age-old tale of man and all. Eli was a terrific mimic.    “Punish him by becoming the world’s champion and then devaluing the title because he doesn’t care about silly things like that anymore. You’d never do that, would you, Eli?”    Adrienne let that question settle in just for a moment.    “And now you have to suffer the embarrassment of possibly competing for championships below your reproach. Maybe your attitude has changed, but if you look over your career at Carnage Wrestling, you have always been consistent. So what’s going on through your mind? May I venture a guess?”    Slightly exaggerating, she tapped a finger on her chin.    “All you gotta do is beat us. Then Steve. Then you’re champion again. After all of that, only three title defenses, and you can take that Highroad to a better championship. One that only you deserve.”    Putting a hand up towards the camera, she invited Eli to stop.    “I’ll be honest, getting the duke over you last show was really cool. We all question our abilities sometimes. I do it constantly. I probably annoy my friends and enemies alike. But for you, its like a vicious cycle. You can’t seemingly understand that everyone here is just as deserved of these opportunities as you are. But you’re still a world-class wrestler, so I know that you’re gonna make it hard for me to do it again. That goes the same for Steve. But I’m not alone.”    The Dragon Lady. Adrienne didn’t even know her real name, and she looked like she could have split Matt in two when he had even inquired about it. But well, she had her secrets, too.    “My partner is none other than The Dragon Lady. Have you two seen her in the ring? She’s tough as nails. She’s determined as ever because through some dubious circumstances, she has yet to taste victory. I’ve talked to her recently, and she’s ready as ever to make her mark. And how about me?”    She stared down at her feet. Adrienne wasn’t one to talk about herself. It wasn’t being humble or anything like, she just wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t any of the things that made a professional wrestler great.    “I don’t know. I should be happy. I’m starting to be recognized by my peers. I even had a feature in that newsletter thing. That was cool.”    Sighing, she wanted to level with the folks watching. She wanted to let them know not to place her so high.    “This was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken. Coming to a new city, for a profession I’ve never actually done, and most terrifyingly meeting new people I wasn’t sure would like me. And I know right now there is someone out there just like me. I’m guessing that you’ve been through the same conflicts. That you’ve hidden the same bruises I’ve had to. And maybe you’re at the cusp of making that very same decision. I … can’t tell you what to do. I’m no role model. I’m just me. But I can tell you that you do have a voice just like me. For so long, like even now, I’ve been afraid to use it.”    Adrienne stepped towards the camera.    “I don’t want to be afraid anymore. And you shouldn’t be either. Whatever is paralyzing you, it can’t hold you forever. I’ve been struggling my whole life just to get to his very moment. To have nothing. And it's the greatest feeling I’ve ever had in my life.”    And she left that one person, whoever they may be, one last question.    “What would it take for you to get there?”        Angie Straussler bundled up her daughter’s apartment steps with groceries in hand. There were more plastic bags in the trunk of the Oldsmobile. Setting one of the bundles of bags down at her feet, she knocked at the apartment door. After a minute, there was no answer. She knocked again. Ever since she was a little girl, Adrienne would almost run to the door to greet whoever was there. No such luck. Maybe she was out on a walk. It was a lovely warm evening after all, and she knew Adrienne was having a hard time leaving this place up in Baltimore behind.    Digging into her purse, she retrieved the spare key to Ade’s apartment. Letting herself in, she was immediately impressed. Every trace of that bastard was long gone.    However, something was strange. There was this air of finality about this she couldn’t put her finger on. She set aside the bags on the kitchen counter next to the stack of bills. Now it was time to figure this whole ordeal out.    Adrienne’s personal cellphone was on the coffee table. Sitting down on the dusty old couch that her one and only child saved from the curb nearly a decade ago, she picked up the phone with a yellow sticky note attached to it—1988, presumably her PIN. Ade had two now. One for work that she could probably just set aside … and this one. The personal one. The one that Angie paid for under her plan.    Entering the code, the screen immediately went to the recorder. Pressing play, Angie heard her daughter’s voice. Hi, mom. I’m gone, as you probably figured out by now. You know where I’m going.    There was a long pause in the recording. Angie could hear shuffling in the background, presumably her daughter hastily packing. You asked me to move on. But, I can’t if I’m still here. You know, I had this plan. I was going to do it the right way. I’d ask my friends to make a trip down here so you could finally meet them. Silvio, Ko, Matt, and maybe Mitch. Probably not him. Anyway, we would have all driven off into the sunset living happily ever after. That day would have never come. My whole life, I’ve been let around by the wishes of others, and whether the intentions were right or not, the choice was never mine. There is nothing here for me. I don’t want to check-in people for their appointments. I don’t want to follow in your footsteps. I know you were doing what you thought was best for me. We’ve always been a team ever since the divorce. You’ve always been there for me even when I probably haven’t been the best daughter. But I can tell you that this is the first choice I’m making with a clear head. I’m afraid, sure. I could fail, but it will be my failure to own. I want to be with my friends. I want to pursue the career that everyone, including you, thought I would never succeed in. I want to be me. There’s just stuff I’m not sure about, things I’ve always wondered about that I need to know about myself. So goodbye. Please just let me go. I love you, mom.   ��The recording stopped.    Angie listened to it a few more times. Her mind ran through a gambit of emotions and plans and conclusions.    Finally, she set the phone aside. Sighing, Angie resigned to the fact that her daughter would need to sink or swim.    “Love you, too, Adrienne.”

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

Collab with Catalina Cortes

(This is part of a RP that Catalina wrote that I collabed in!)

Catalina squeezed every bit of home she could into her Baltimore studio apartment. There was her Nintendo Switch, her Todoroki merch(multiple wall scrolls, a body pillow and one set of footie pajamas), and her 600-foot spool of nylon rope. The spool lie ominously next to her computer chair, daring any visitors to ask about it. Adrienne Levi and Catalina sat on the couch, a cushion between them, awkwardly sipping coffee and avoiding conversation. Catalina wondered if Adrienne had noticed the rope. “Don’t worry about the rope,” Catalina said. Levi had taken Catalina’s invitation to attempt to become more familiar, more friendly with other denizens of Carnage. So far it wasn’t that she didn’t like Cortes, it was just that there wasn’t much to say other than niceties. Now very aware of the rope, Adrienne’s expression went from ease to a growing concern. But maybe Catalina was moving or something. “Okay.” Looking at her phone for a moment, she fired a text off to Matt Knox: I should have listened. “So do you like … stuff?” Adrienne said with the hopes of steering this meeting into something fun. First impressions were a lot, sure. But Adrienne was shy with meeting new people. Maybe Catalina was, too. Catalina choked on a drink of coffee, her plotting interrupted by Adrienne’s voice. “Yeah,” she choked. “I mean a lot of stuff, really. There’s my Twitch channel, which has forty-three subscribers, which means I’m seven away from being an affiliate. Anime, film, video games. You write slash? I’m working on a Knox/Winter piece about how they’re mean to each other on Twitter to hide their true feelings, and when they finally stop hiding, oh boy does it get steamy. It’s also a commentary on toxic masculinity.” Fidgeting slightly at this line of questioning, Adrienne answered softly. “I wasn’t sure what slash was until well, I guess you explained it.” She took a small sip of her coffee before carefully setting the mug back down on the coaster. Adrienne liked most of those things. She would probably be considered a poser as she didn’t really know most of the names of anime girl shirts she had - sort of like the one she was wearing today. But then the thought of Alex Winter and Matt Knox sharing a chaste kiss entered her mind briefly and Adrienne did her best to send that one back down into the chasms. “But that’s really cool. I’ll become number forty-four if that's alright with you.” Catalina patted her shoulder. “That’d be so cool! Look at us, bonding over coffee and hypothetical relationships.” She turned her attention to the rope. “The rope isn’t for you, by the way. It’s for someone much bigger and much more dangerous.” There was only one person who fit that bill. Every other person could be reasoned with or possibly backed down from their urges. Casting another glance at the pile of rope, Adrienne considered if Catalina was just trying to make another joke. “You’re not serious, are you?” Adrienne said hesitantly not wanting to offend her host. One hand went theatrically to Catalina’s chest in feigned indignation, a motion worthy of Christopher Marlowe. “Ade, girl, what the heck? You know how tough it is for a woman to get ahead in wrestling. Honestly, I thought you’d be more supportive. Of course I’m serious. Lab Rat King has superhuman monster blood, and I gotta get me some of that. She-Hulk got her powers through a blood transfusion. It’s the same principle. Can you imagine how unstoppable I’ll be?” Everyone saw that blood. It was all over the mat and cage during the encounter with Mitch Heart. Adrienne had finally decided to watch the fight just for some perspective. However, she also saw Zane King after the show. Saw the congealed blackish blood smeared all over concrete walls as he just moved around in that small space. Saw the odd discolorations in various parts of his massive muscle bound body. “I don’t mean to be mean but could the way his blood looked also be because he’s sick?” Adrienne probably meant this as a thought but a flare of concern made her voice it out loud. Continuing that, she spoke trying to maintain eye contact with Catalina. “And that it could make you sick?” “Actually,” Catalina said, hopping up from her couch to inspect her checkerboard backpack. “I haven’t thought about that. I’m sure I can find somebody to analyze it. First things first, gotta get that blood. Wanna come with? I might need a distraction. We can make it a whole girls night.” She pulled an Umbreon hoodie on and grabbed a flashlight from her kitchen drawer, before giving Adrienne a spin. “This look okay for sneaking?” Subconsciously, Adrienne touched her neck. While the conversation with Zane had lessened some of the fears she held for him, that one moment still stayed. “Maybe. I’ve never done that kind of stuff before. I’m not sure you should either. Zane King isn’t an animal.” Standing up, she straightened out the legs of her jeans. She eyed the door. Adrienne’s idea of a girl’s night out was sharing some wine coolers and maybe gossiping. No mean rumors, of course. Not dying at the hands of Lab Rat King. “I don’t think I can stop you. Your heart really seems set on this. So hopefully … I’ll see you at the show.” Catalina gave a thumb up as she headed out the door. “That’s what I’m talking about! Women supporting women! Don’t worry, I have no doubt this is gonna go swimmingly. Feel free to hang out. We can get a pizza and play Mario Kart when I get back.” With Catalina gone, Adrienne took her up on her offer. Eventually, she stared at an unopened pack of Double Stuf Oreos on the kitchen counter. Despite no one being in the room, she whispered, “Maybe just one. Or two...”

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

The Dragon, The Light, and The Corvid

This is a collab written by The Dragon Lady! Matt Knox also appears!

I saw the updated card for CHAOS 98 while I still roamed around the Carnage Pavilion. I won't lie. I am hoping Alex Winter might bump into me to meet his doom as he ripped that win I had over him. Bastard. Instead, as I looked for Alex to demand a rematch, I saw someone else. Adrienne Levi. My first ever to be tag partner who I know won her match tonight. I am not the most charismatic person in the world. I'll admit when I walked behind her as she sat there in a hallway probably most satisfied with herself at what she had accomplished tonight, I may have come off a tad bit like a creep. I leaned upward a smidge so as my face could be close to her ear when I spoke. "Just the person I needed to see." Needed is an accurate description of finding her. I wanted Alex, but I probably needed to see Adrienne first. My blood still pumped with anger at what has happened to me tonight. I still am seeing red. The young woman nearly jumped out of her shoes. “Oh!” Turning, Adrienne Levi seemed hesitant as she spoke. “Me? Anything I can help with?” I straightened my spine so as to give her a little space. I think I may have invaded her personal space. "Let me start over. It looks like we will be tag partners for Chaos 98. Against Steve Matthews and Eli Goode. So yes. I do think we can help each other. My name....is The Dragon Lady." I offer a hand out to her to shake. I would not give her my real name. No one is to call me by that unless they have permission.And outside of Mameha, not a soul did right now. Everyone is to be kept at arm's length for now. “I know you! You’re so cool! I have to admit that it's therapeutic to see you take it to a guy like Winter.” Adrienne paused, her tone souring at Winter’s name. “Dragon Lady, I’m all for this. I’m very familiar with those two.” I shook her hand. And after she spoke, I replied, "Well that's good to know. I wish I knew everybody a little better at this point." I shook my head, venting a little bit "I am very frustrated right now. With…. Well, Everything. And for our upcoming match, I'll be glad to share the ring with you as my partner. I could use the help right now." “What has you frustrated? I don’t want to be nosy or anything but sure, I’d love to help.” "I just..” I began, but hesitated as i searched for the proper words to express myself “I expected instant gratification for what I have done. I am frustrated because I was so close winning my match at Chaos 96. And now..." I waved my hands a little crazy above my head. "This crap with Alex and C$J. I'm beyond furious. I haven't been this angry in…" I started trying to count with my fingers and just gave up. "A good long while." Adrienne reached out for just a moment, before taking her hand back down to her side. “You have every right to be. Don’t tell anyone but after I lost my third match in a row, I was frustrated, too. Cried about it a good bit. I thought I didn’t belong. But I realized something, I do belong here. And seeing how you’ve conducted yourself here - you do, too.” Matt Knox rounded the corner then, stone faced and focused. He was dressed in his street clothes already with the ancient Adidas bag slung over his shoulder His gait broke as he saw Adrienne down the hall, conversing with the woman who had kicked Alex's ass until that snot nosed rich prick reversed it. Just another issue he'd address soon. He let out a sharp whistle to get Adrienne's attention as he strode toward the pair. I looked towards the sound of a whistle. I am the one startled now as I see Knox trying to get Adrienne's attention. I know these two have some sort of alliance between one another, and he's… well, a giant. “Matt!” Adrienne gives Matt Knox a quick embrace. “Have you met The Dragon Lady? Isn’t she amazing?” Knox quietly sizes up the small stranger before replying "Yeah. Shame what the boss pulled on you out there. Real bush league" I stayed quiet a moment after Knox spoke. Finally I say, "Yeah. It is a real shame. And Adrienne is being too nice to me tonight. She's the one who won tonight. And your match didn't go so hot either, Knox. Alex is lucky he got away." I stared out toward the end of the hall, zoning out for a moment not seeing either Adrienne or Knox. My hands clenched into fists then. And I began grinding my teeth as I thought about Alex getting my foot shoved in his face. “Winning is one thing. However the people are starting to get behind you. Look at their faces as you come out. Look at the smiles. They want to cheer for you. Look at how they reacted when Alex pulled what he did. They were angry with you.” Adrienne frowned at mentioning his name before continuing. “You ever notice how there are a lot of folks who start out with you. They lose a few and then that’s it. They throw in the towel. Knox. Me. And now you. We’ve all lost. But we’re all still here. That’s gotta count for something, right?” “Winning comes and goes. I’ve never won my first match in any company I’ve wrestled with. You’re doing fine out there, kid. You even got a coach, far as I can tell. And now you’re partnered up with someone who knows exactly how you’re feeling.” Knox’s tone was warm, mellow. His gaze was far off though as his mind wrapped around his own troubles. He allowed himself a chuckle “Yeah. You got this, Dragon Lady...I--” a pause “You got another name, miss? It’s weird calling someone as small as you “Dragon”. I’m sorry” I narrow my eyes at Knox. My hands unclench at the sweet words Adrienne says. And Knox's words sorta irritate me. I mean not all the words he says, but the last ones for sure. I say, "I guess you guys are right. Still doesn't mean I can't find the little twerp out of the ring and kick his ass." I pause a moment and put my hands on my hips. I stare Matt Knox down. "My name is not Dragon. Nor The Dragon. It's The Dragon Lady. And it will be The Dragon Lady until I see fit, Raven…." Stifling a nervous chuckle, Adrienne piped up, “That works for me. How about you, Matt?” Knox was silent for a beat, he considered quipping. Maybe calling her Lizard Chick. But no, for the sake of being the good guy after a shit night he nodded, respectfully “Dragon Lady it is” he agreed I nodded my head slowly. Perhaps I'm being my own worst enemy not trying to be friendlier. I am just too damned mad. I turn my attention to Adrienne fully. I reach into a pocket in my shirt and pull out a card. It has the name of a gym there with an address. I extend it out to her. "This is where I train. If you're ever interested in stopping by to give me some pointers or even if you want to just train with me in the next couple weeks, you're free to come by. For now… I am in much need of hunting..." Adrienne took the card with a grin. The cell phone in Adrienne’s hand beeped. “That’s okay. My ride is almost here. I’ll be sure to stop by.” Turning to Matt, she spoke to him directly. “I’m staying a few days over. Kohaku offered to let me crash while I shop apartments here. I’ll see you two later!” I nod my head at Levi, as I take my leave. I walk down the hall to a closed door and kick it open "Aaaaallleeeeeexxxxxx!" And then I disappeared into the room searching for him. Knox watches Levi leave first, a bit of pride filling him as he reflects on how different she is now, compared to when they met. He then turns his gaze to the Dragon Lady. He brings a hand up to his chin, stroking it thoughtfully “She's hot” he mumbles “In a ninja-bandit kind of way” and with that, Knox leaves to prepare for next Chaos

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

CHAOS 97: vs. Eli Goode

WRITTEN BY KNOX

Johnny Vegas: Have I mentioned how much I HATE Ken fucking Davison and Kyra? Terra Skye: All the time... So you don't really have to say it again. Johnny Vegas: I HATE THEM. Boy: FROST GIANTS! Terra Skye: All I can say about them is that they're on their own path, whether it's right or it's wrong - Whether or not they can repair the relationships they've let fall to the wayside, who knows. But there's nothing we can do except watch. Johnny Vegas: Still hate them. Terra Skye: I KNOW. Anyway, what about that little Ad for the old Carnage Radio show? I haven't seen anything like that in a while... But with Chaos 100 approaching, it might be nice to take a look back in time to the days when we were just starting out. Johnny Vegas: Back when I was a little less miserable? Eh. Terra Skye: Ugh.. Fine, let's get into this next match. Johnny Vegas: COME ON ELI!!! LOSERS INC. HAS GOTTA HAVE ANOTHER LOSS IN HER SOMEWHERE! DING DING!! Levi and Goode meet in the middle and begin circling one another. They slap hands as a show of good sportsmanship before they go for a lockup. Levi gets the upper hand, shoving Goode into a corner. The ref gets her to back off and she does as Goode looks at her with an impressed expression. He comes off the ropes and the two begin circling each other once more. They lock up but Goode ducks under this time, and overtakes Levi with a sudden back suplex! Johnny Vegas: HAH! Look at that, Eli already taking it to the loser!! Terra Skye: Does he KNOW how much of a dick you are? Johnny Vegas: Knows it, and loves it Terra Skye: Did you just say, on air, Eli Goode loves.. Boy: OH I WISH I WAS AN OSCAR MEYER WEINER Levi holds the back of her head as she gets up, only to have Eli drive her into a corner where he begins driving his shoulder into her midsection. She eventually has the wind knocked from her and drops to a seated position. Eli backs off, then charges back in attempting to drive his knee into Levi’s face but she evades it, sliding under the bottom rope and Goode bashes his knee into the corner! Johnny Vegas: THAT BITCH! THAT LOSER COULDA MADE HIM BREAK HIS LEG!! Terra Skye: He’s a wrestler. He’s gonna get hurt. It’s not Levi’s fault Johnny Vegas: I say it is!! Terra Skye: So by your expert opinion, Adrienne Levi - A very talented rising star here in Carnage.. a WRESTLER just like your boy Eli, should just like.. REFRAIN from hurting Eli in anyway? Johnny Vegas: Yep. Terra Skye: DO YOU REALIZE HOW STUPID THAT SOUNDS?! Goode goes down holding his knee as Adrienne slides back into the ring. She pulls Goode to the middle of the ring, and gets him to his feet. She lifts Goode and nails a vertical suplex. She gets up quickly and follows it up with a running leg drop before getting to his feet and charges the ropes, bouncing off of the ropes but this time nailing a picture perfect moonsault. She instantly transitions into a pin, hooking Goode’s leg!! Johnny Vegas: KICK OUT ELI COME ON ONE!! TWO!! Goode kicks out, and rolls out of the ring. Levi double checks with the ref as Goode limps on the outside, trying to work a kink in his knee out. Levi takes advantage and charges forth, going over the top rope in an attempt to nail a crossbody but Goode catches her with a picture perfect drop kick! Levi falls to the ground holding her midsection. Goode lays next to her favoring his knee and grimacing. Johnny Vegas: HAH! DID YOU SEE HIM KICK HER IN THE AIR?! Terra Skye: Yes Johnny. I’m right here. I’m paid to watch the match with you. Boy: Shouting is rude. Johnny Vegas: UP YOUR ASS BIGFOOT! Levi and Goode get back up slowly, with Goode using the guard rail and Levi pulling herself up using the apron. Goode is immediately on the attack though as he rushes in and nails Levi with a step up enziguri. He kips to his feet and drops her with a hard DDT. Goode lifts her and rolls her back into the ring, dropping down and hooking her leg with a pin Johnny Vegas: Here we go! Eli’s got it now! ONE!! TWO!! Levi kicks out! Goode looks frustrated, checking with the ref once more before getting to his feet and waiting for Levi to get up. He holds onto the top rope as he measures her, face determined and calculating. As Levi gets up into a kneeling position, Goode charges in and goes for the Goode Deal but Levi dodges it and trips Eli up. She hurries to her feet and runs to the ropes. As Eli gets to his feet, Levi bounces off the ropes propelling and nailing Goode with Levity! She goes for the pin!! Johnny Vegas: Eli no!! KICK OUT! KICK OUT!! ONE!! TWO!! THREE!! DING DING DING!!! Johnny Vegas: NO! THAT WAS A FAST COUNT! FIRE THAT REF!! Kelly Carmichael: Your winner... ADRIENNE LEVI!!!! Johnny Vegas: GAH!! Why doesn't our BOSS COME OUT NOW?! FUCK! THIS IS HEINOUS! THIS IS UNFAIR! Terra Skye: Jesus Christ, chill out before you hemorrhage. Eli Goode had a great match, they both wanted to put on a great match and they did - Unfortunately for Eli, maybe because he had other things on his mind, I don't know, but he let this one slip between his fingers. That doesn't change how talented he is and how much potential he has. Johnny Vegas: FUCK! Terra Skye: But Adrienne Levi has slowly but surely proven herself to be as talented as people thought she could be. Both of these two could face again in the future for any of Carnage's championships and I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest. Boy: Mother has Dylans note. Johnny Vegas: Go to a break.. I need a minute to recover. Terra Skye: Oh my God...

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

(VII½)

   Adrienne Straussler looked forlornly at the occupied lunch table from across the room. She’d be too embarrassed to approach them anyhow. The smile. Long flowing strawberry blonde hair. Deep blue eyes. This strange feeling in the pit of Adrienne’s stomach made her feel different. She’d been a ghost mostly in her first eighteen months at Clearwater High School so it wasn’t like it mattered. Her crush had never said a word to her before so instead she’d observe from a table in the back of the lunch room. Trying to summon the courage to even approach her. To even approach what she'd been wondering about for the past few years. She dipped a fry into a little cup of ketchup and nibbled absently.    The indistinguishable chatter of fellow students became momentarily clear, “...twenty bucks? You’re on.”    Suddenly, a boy obscured her normal viewing. He had slicked back dark hair, wide dark eyes, and a slight even arrogant looking grin. His letterman jacket indicated he was part of the wrestling team and so were his friends - who were doing a poor job hiding their mockery. During first period, she tripped over a chair leg and made a racket in the back of Mrs. Hooper’s classroom. Or maybe it was the black and white striped sweater she was wearing. She liked it but she’d heard murmurs that she was the World’s Dorkiest Prison Inmate. Better than the usual cruelty about her teeth or her height. However, this one wasn’t laughing. He spoke in a friendly manner, “Hey. You’re Adrienne, right?”    She tried to avert her eyes but he stayed in view. He was a senior so she wasn’t sure about the sudden bout of attention.    “Yeah.”    “I’m Danny.”    Adrienne adjusted her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose to put Danny in focus. The both of them shared eye contact for an extended period of time. His glare was unwavering but seemed to be reassessing this situation. Danny’s friends seemed to be getting inpatient as they glared at Danny as if he was wasting their collective time.    “What are you doing for the dance? Just two weeks from now, you know? Figured you’d be like everyone else and getting ready for it.”    “I’m not sure,” she mumbled. Maybe rent the Labyrinth from Blockbuster again.    “So you’re not going?”    One of them behind Danny couldn’t contain their snickering. Danny shot them both an accusing glare and turned back to the sophomore.    “Would you like to?” He put a hand across the table towards her. This was the first time someone besides her mother had asked her what she wanted to do. His smile wasn’t arrogant at all. It was warm and inviting.    Trying to think of every excuse in the world to not break her routine, she instead surrendered with a meek acceptance, “Yes.”        Everyone, including her mother, had made it clear that it was time to move on. It perhaps made Adrienne a little angry. Like she didn’t know. Like she didn’t know that Danny Levi ...wasn’t the best person. It’s why she let him go. It’s why she suffered through months and months of questions and suspicion. Telling what happened dozens and dozens of times.    One day, she was no longer a subject of interest. She wasn’t keen on medical terminology but the coroner concluded that Daniel Levi would have passed before any aid could have been rendered. Something about a myocardial rupture as a result of his heart attack.    What those that were concerned and maybe even revelled in Danny’s passing didn’t realize is that Adrienne didn’t want to join them in that sort of macabre celebration. All contention to this mindset was perilous. Adrienne knew this was the wrong way. For all she had managed since he had passed, she’d been swimming against the current. Silvio hadn’t been the first person to tell her to start living for herself.    “I’m trying!”    Her sudden outburst was at noone in particular. In the stillness of the night, Adrienne stood barefoot, ankle deep in the waters at Clearwater Beach. It had been a long day. Tomorrow she would have to shift her mindset and body towards what could possibly be the biggest match of her upstart career. Eli Goode was a proven commodity in this company and would most likely pull all stops to regain momentum. But today. Today was about leaving Danny Levi behind.    It had been easy enough to go through her cell phone and delete all of the pictures. Even the candid ones where he was smiled just for her. It was easy to box up his old clothes and belongings - his scent no longer lingered. Was easy to bundle up all of the gimmicks and wrestling merchandise he’d never sold. Not much of a challenge even for that eyesore of a championship belt Danny custom ordered just to celebrate his greatest achievement. All of that went to the dumpster before noon.    “...I’m trying,” she repeated softly.    Taking a deep breath, she waded further into the ocean.    “Danny,” her voice quivered as she said his name, “lots of folks are glad you’re gone. I never felt that way.”    Adrienne wasn’t sure what she was trying to accomplish. She knew she wasn’t speaking to his spirit or anything like that. She knew that she wouldn’t receive some other worldly response. But that was on par when he was even around. Danny liked to talk. Just not to her.    “I don’t think you ever loved me. I … don’t know what I was for you. You never told me. I know what you never wanted me to be.” Pausing, she resumed with a little more assertiveness in her voice. “I’m doing it now, Danny. I haven’t done much but I really like it. I don’t think you ever liked the business. I think it was all you thought you were capable of. You were smart. So smart but you always cut corners. Always looking for someone to dupe.”    She was waist deep now. The waves rushed up to meet her chest high, soaking her black t-shirt completely.    “You duped me. You stole my innocence from me. And if that wasn’t enough, you betrayed me. That’d be enough for me to hate you. I don’t. I just … want to be done with you. I don’t know what I would have been without you. But I want to find out.”    Danny Levi’s widow brought up her left hand, placing it in her right. Her fingers touched the gold wedding band.    “I’m not leaving you behind because of mom saying so. Or because of my friends. It’s because I don’t think I loved you either. Or if I did … not anymore. You’re part of a past that I can’t afford to live in anymore.”    The ring came off easy enough but it felt heavy in her palm. If she were in a world of fantasy, surely the ring would be speaking to her. But it didn’t. It was an inanimate object she’d worn on her ring finger since she was nineteen years old. It was a ring that Danny had purchased as an afterthought at the jewelry department at the local Walmart, not that she was about material things but it wasn’t even the right size at first. She didn’t want the world. She just wanted to be a part of it.    Tilting her hand, she watched the ring slide from her palm. Anticlimactically, it dropped into the ocean with a small plunk. For a moment, the moonlight showed the band just below the surface before the darkness swallowed it up.    “Goodbye, Danny.”

[adriennescomingbacktolife]

(VII)

   “Those shades aren’t fooling anyone.”    Hesitantly, Angie Straussler’s daughter removed the knockoff Ray-Ban Jackie Ooh sunglasses. Angie reached across the small round table and touched Adrienne’s cheek, remarking softly, “Goddamn it, Ade.”    Another extended stay in Baltimore had ended much the same as any of the previous trips: being picked up by her mother. She had managed to delay the judgment on her sudden decision to just leave without notice for the night. She was tired and as soon as she entered her apartment, Adrienne collapsed on the couch. But it was only inevitable that she would be sitting across from her mother at a Starbucks just a few blocks away. Angie was insistent that they talk.    “I’m okay, mom.” She mumbled, embarrassed by her exasperation. Adrienne knew that her mom was reacting to the shiner she had acquired from the final blows that Hudson gave her prior to capturing the victory for her team. We Are Relentless had been a bewildering evening. Sure, she had won. That’s what a lot of folks will talk about. Not only that, it was Adrienne’s third win in a row but she wasn’t counting. She more so relished in the special moment that transpired even with something as innocuous as a temporary tattoo. And then that meeting with Zane King. Not sure what to think about that. Just what had he gone through?    “Adrienne.”    Taking a sip of her hot chocolate, Adrienne concluded that it was still too hot even with the abundant amount of whipped cream lurking beneath the lid. Setting it down on a napkin, she then looked in her mother’s eyes. With a little more bass in her voice, she reaffirmed her status. “Really, I’m okay.”    Angie furrowed her brow, as well as setting her jaw. Adrienne could tell her mother was a little agitated with her and this had been building up for quite a while. Underneath the table, she twisted the gold wedding band around her finger. The ambience of the coffee shop settled in: the folksy music, quiet murmur of other conversations, and the hustle and bustle of the employees. Adrienne flinched a little as her mother’s gaze as she finally broke the silence, “I’m not worried about what’s going on. I still don’t like it but you seem to be getting along well … up there.”    “Okay, then what?”    “Your life is here.”    Mrs. Straussler’s hand shot across the table, her long red nails digging into the soft flesh of Adrienne’s forearm. Her smile framed by loud crimson lipstick, a grotesque representation of her true expressions, as her voice rumbled throughout the shop, “And you’re never leaving!”        The monitor overhead in the abandoned control room cut off. Adrienne Levi sighed before pressing the red transmit button, “That’s not what happened.”    “I thought it was funny.”    “It wasn’t.” She paused, keeping the button held. It wasn’t only not funny, Adrienne was more than a little annoyed at this situation. Trying her best to hide her aggravation, she continued, “I’ve been here for days and all you’ve been doing is messing with me.”    The voice on the other side responds with a mousy meek voice, barely stifling their giggles, “Like when I made you think you were talking to yourself?”    Adrienne pushed the microphone away in disgust. To hell with this, she thought with a flash of anger.    “Or honestly, this whole preposterous set up.” The voice wasn’t coming from the console. And it wasn’t an approximation of her voice anymore. It was a deep rumbling bellow and this time, it was coming from behind her. “Awful rude of you to disturb my rest.”    Turning slowly, she watched as a shadowy form rose from its previously seated position.    “Why’d you come out here, girl? Looking for something?” Cackling, the form stepped into the trembling ray of light from Adrienne’s flashlight. Bones creaked as the corpse stumbled forward, it’s jaw jacking, “There ain’t nothing ‘cept the reruns of your life here.”    “But that isn’t what happened!”    “I don’t give a mutant rat’s ass. Might as well been. Look at you…”    The monitor flickered to life, showing Adrienne at her worst in rapid succession. A blustering, sobbing mess.    “Fuckin’ crybaby.”    Surprisingly not frightened by a reanimated skeleton, Adrienne balled up her fists.    “Dropping your baggage on whoever will listen to the pretty sad girl. Dopes, all of them.”    Upon reflection, she’d had these deep emotional moments with so many people lately. Some had made her feel better. Some not so much. But, if she was really just making them feel worse, that’d make her a pretty bad person.    “Cept that one weird guy. Fuck, they’re all weird. You know who I mean, card boy. Tells you to start living for yourself. Have one measly selfish bone in your body and all you can do is stammer on about yer Mommy. I don’t what’s more pathetic: you going around living this lie or this silly quest you’re on.”    After reaching behind his back, the skeleton in the tattered green jacket tossed something at Adrienne. The sword clattered at her feet.    “There you go. What you were looking for, right? This rusted piece of shit is make believe, girl. Just like all of this.”    Adrienne didn’t want to admit that she was wrong. How worthless her little daydreams had become. She huffed in response, “Just … why?”    Stepping forward with heavy bone rattling thuds, the creature’s voice transformed into one of Danny’s favorite artists. One of her least favorites as she’d heard every one of their albums multiple times over the years on the plethora of fruitless road trips with Danny. The backing track for Coma echoed throughout the small room as the thing imitated Axl Rose, “You live your life like it's a coma, won't you tell me why we'd wanna? With all the reasons you give... it's, it's kinda hard to believe.”    Realizing that this had all been a farce, she backed away to the door. The accusing monster closed in, bones splintering from so much use in a decayed state.    “But who am I to tell you that I've seen any reason why you should stay? Maybe we'd be better off without you, anyway…”    Before it could continue, Adrienne pulled open the steel door and went through the opening. Horrified, she suddenly realized she was falling ...        Adrienne had compiled as much content about Eli Goode as she could and had compiled it into a playlist. His ups and downs, his tendencies to carelessly traipse into some very ugly emotions, and most undoubtedly his astounding tenancy as a competitor.    She reclined on the couch, nursing a pint of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream as the playlist served as background to her own wandering thoughts. It was as if he was trying his best to be a kind person but it seemed to be a poor substitution to what he truly was. Adrienne didn’t want to judge him for this, these were merely just observations. After all, she knew her own flaws. Knew that no matter what she said out loud, that she lacked the convictions to follow through. The other day with her mother had been a tough pill to swallow.    But Angie was right.    Here goes Adrienne Levi, gallivanting off to her perfect wonderful world without a care. Neglecting her responsibilities back home. It was easy to see that everyone was against her but that just wasn’t the case.    “Adrienne,” her mother repeated, putting a hand on her daughter’s forearm, squeezing gently, “Your life is here.”    She stonewalled her inclination to tear up. Adrienne’s voice quivered as she replied, “I don’t want to be here anymore.”    “You don’t think I know that?” Leaning in, Angie spoke just for her daughter, “I’ve tried to get you out of that apartment for over a year now. I’ve tried everything, Ade. You tell me all of these things but here you are, still in Danny’s grasp. Surrounded by his life. By his death. You’re a grown woman, so that’s why I humor your excursions. It’s only natural. It’s a world you’ve never been in and I’m so happy for you.”    Angie paused, stirring in a packet of cream into her cup of coffee.    “You’re going about it the wrong way. Burning through your money just to hang out with your new friends. You don’t know how amazing that is even to say. Your new friends, Adrienne. But you spent nearly three grand for a hotel room alone-- ”    Adrienne’s mother cut herself off. She knew when her point was made. Her daughter’s head was down, eyes averted.    “It’s not all your fault. But he’s dead. And here you are, in the third decade of your life and you don’t know how to balance a checkbook. Or how to drive.”    “Mom.”    “I’m not trying to embarrass you, Ade. But fantasy time is over. You want to leave here? You want to spread your wings? Well, first thing’s first, you’ve gotta leave Danny Levi behind.”        “Hi, Eli.”    Adrienne Levi came into focus. Behold the power of a $400 digital camera. One that Adrienne was still having trouble operating. Her first take, she was upside down. The second time, she had been talking for about five minutes before she realized she never charged the battery. Then after that, she started filming in her living room and realized that the poor lighting made it seem like she was telling a ghost story at the campfire. The unintentional Dutch angle worked for Mitch Heart surely but Adrienne just came off as Minnie Mouse trying to be tough and intimidating.    So after taking a deep breath, many deep breaths actually, Adrienne set up somewhere a little festive. She hadn’t been to the Rumba Island Bar & Grill since quitting her previous job. It had been her go-to watering hole after a long shift of getting screamed at. Charlie the bartender didn’t even remember her - which to be honest was a relief. Regardless, she settled for the patio outside. Under an umbrella, Ade was seated at a small round metal table. She wore a shirt that had a picture of purple oranges with the label Purples. She waved at Eli as she sipped at a ridiculously huge strawberry Daiquiri from a neon purple twisty looped straw.    “Don’t tell anyone but I guess I’m technically drinking on the job. I wanted to formally introduce myself to you. I’m Adrienne. Started here about three months ago. I don’t expect you to know much about me. You are after all a big-time star.” Adrienne took a timely drink before continuing. “And I’ve done okay for myself. My friends would point out that I’m on a little winning streak but I’m not sure that matters. I guess it's cool. It took just as long for me to end up with a televised entrance. You know, someone asking me - how do you want to come out? I imagine that’s small potatoes to someone like you.”    She didn't do this to be biting or sarcastic. Watching Eli Goode over the last few days had revealed some worrying trends.    “I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot. Look at your resume, Eli. Rookie of the year. Captured nearly every single championship this place has to offer. Part of a super group led by undeniable legend Jack Michaels. And you seem like a real sweet guy. My heart goes out to you. Over the last few months, you've made a lot of promises to help Kyra Johnson. All while on your new crusade to capture yet another championship. So I have to imagine that it is disconcerting that you once more have to embark on a new challenge without conquering the last. Late last year, you said 2020 would be all about you. I think it would be safe to assume that it hasn’t been. I’m not here to talk about your personal life as much as it is on display lately. But this Paragon? I’d say that’s been dissolved. And since your tag team title reign ended, you’ve been chasing that championship glory you so desire - yet to no avail.”    Raising her pointer finger as if to finally put an exclamation on this little piece of exposition, she remarked, “That’s not to say it won’t happen again. It just seems like that this is the only thing that really defines you. Even what was supposed to be your most endearing moment, your only way to heal Kyra was for you to become champion.”    Adrienne stopped. She understood there was possibly more to it but she wasn’t here to discuss Eli Goode’s fragile masculinity.    “Now to be fair, I’ve never been the champion of anything. Closest I’ve been is 3rd place in my middle school’s spelling bee. So maybe I just don’t get it. I just know what I’ve seen out of you. Like for one, it seems like you’ve adopted this underdog status. What kind of underdog goes and tells Zephyr Quinn of all people that she doesn’t deserve to win because your turn at being UltraViolent champion was too short? As if it was a toy that belonged to you. And also, what kind of aspiring champion talks about a title and says that it means nothing?”    Nathaniel Grant had been an easy target, sure. But to disparage a champion just because the perceived prestige of the championship he held wasn’t to Eli’s standard really bothered Adrienne.    “I get why you say these things. I truly do. You speak with this undercurrent of arrogance because that’s what Jack Michaels did. You’ve spent your entire career in Carnage Wrestling trying to live up to his image. Trying your best to become the next Jack instead of the first Eli Goode.” Stirring her drink a bit, she let that settle in. One week, Eli spoke like he was the creme of the crop. The next, he was screaming about missed opportunities. Picking up that thread, she smiled as she spoke, “In nearly every encounter you’ve gone on about, you’ve decided that you’re the arbiter of one’s value to this company. Makes me wonder how you size me up. I’m sure we’ll share the normal niceties. Cuz here’s what I know. You represent a huge opportunity to me.”    With her confidence swelling, she felt a little braver in her words - or maybe it was a good buzz, she wasn’t sure. This certainly wasn’t her second drink of the day.    “I’ve heard my peers. They expect greatness from me. I don’t know about that. I’ve never been great at anything. I only asked that if you can hear the sound of my voice, listen to me just for a moment. If you’ve been standing in the shadows for a long time, step out with me. And if you believe in me - even just a little bit, then join me.”    With that invitation extended, she shifted one last time to Eli Goode.    “Eli, you’ve always proclaimed yourself to be the future of this business but Paragon is long past. I’m not here to make such grand claims. But I’m not going to be your foothold back to what makes you whole. The nature of the business is … sometimes unfair. Somebody has to lose, and I’d rather it be you. I’m here to pass you by and establish that Adrienne Levi is just as Goode as any of you.”        Opening her eyes, she was treated with a close up view of an empty Coors Light can half hidden in the weeds. Her body was racked with pain as if she fell out of the sky. Pushing up from the dirt, she tried to get a sense of her bearings. Still in her winter clothing, she’d quickly become aware of the sweltering heat of a summer afternoon in Florida. Brushing her hair out of her face, she looked around. Deposited on the side of I-75 but there was no traffic buzzing past her. The world seemed empty, even frozen in place.    Looking forward, she saw the sign. Literally, a sign. A green one affixed to steel rails planted into the ground that said in white letters, “Thank you for visiting Florida!”