Post by A Confirmed Real Person on Jan 10, 2013 20:40:05 GMT -6
Fiona Rourke was anything but her usual chipper and perky self. Even though she had been invited out to lunch with two of her favorite people in the world, she was feeling salty and cranky. The three were seated in a booth at the local Panera Bread, with Jonathan sitting across from her and Madison sitting beside her on her side of the booth. She was raking her fork through her salad, eyes staring down into the bowl at the food she had barely touched and barely listening as Madison talked excitedly about a movie she had seen on TV. She was irked at what had been said about her and irked that people STILL months later, didn't believe she had it in her and believed she was only where she was because of the man across from her. With a loud sigh, Fiona shook her head as continued messing around with her untouched salad.
"You really need to relax. People say things, and you're letting them get to you," he told her, taking a bit from his bowl of soup. Jonathan Collins remained quiet, just glancing her way and reading and studying her body language. "Besides, you've got a lot more on your plate. I take it you've had a few sessions with my little surprise for you?" he asked her, raising his eyebrow before going for a sip of his coffee.
"How can I relax and let things just roll off my back when she pretty much just flat out called me a whore," she replied, glaring at him through narrowed eyes before she glanced down at Madison and shook her head. "Don't repeat that, kiddo," she nudged her before she sighed and looked back at Jon. "Yeah, I have. I still don't quite understand why you wanted to work with him though. I mean, he's big and scary and half the time he looks like he wants to rip my head off or eat me." She took a sip of her own coffee before she ripped a chunk of bread off and popped it into her mouth. "Is it like, some kind of punishment or something?"
"No, it's because of exactly reasons like this. One moment, you show me that you're tough and strong, and the next you let someone's words get into your head. You're strutting around, cock of the walk, just because you upset her. Now you're letting her upset you and it's ridiculous," he said to her. He glanced at her sternly, shaking his head and sighing. "Listen, Cal Ryder has saved me more times than I can count. This is my gift to you. It's an opportunity. It's like if I sent you to Mexico or Japan, I'm just sending you...well, to Texas."
Fiona frowned again even though she knew he was right. Whenever someone called her out on something that struck a nerve inside of her, she let it get to her more than it should and upset her. "I know, I know," she mumbled around her piece of bread before she reached across to his plate and stole a chip. "It's just weird because the last time I saw him, it seemed like he was changing you for the worst and taking you away from me and Jimmy," she revealed, her voice soft as she finally lifted her eyes to look up at him.
"What happened in Nashville with Cal and I had everything to do with what I was doing at the time. I had to take a gigantic gamble with the move I made, and...well, do you think it paid off? I could have ruled the roost of a company I wasn't happy with. Instead, I enforce the law of a company where people get a fair chance. The endgame is open to interpretation," he told her quietly. "Cal Ryder knows what he's doing, and he'll take you to a place where you can finish learning the things I can't teach you. There's a reason he's called The Monster," Jonathan said, finally tearing a portion of the bread bowl off so he could eat.
"Believe me, I know that," she said softly under her breath as she finally began to eat some of her salad, having felt better getting some of her worries off her chest. "He wants me to come back down there this weekend for another session, after the show of course." She glanced up at him then then frowned as she felt Madison's finger poking her incessantly in the cheek. "What in the world are you doing, Munchkin?" Fiona asked, chuckling as she turned her head to look down at the young girl beside her.
"Smile?" the little girl asked. Quickly, she looked up at Fiona and leaned in, hugging her. She tried to make her smile again. Regardless, Madison saw love. She saw hope. Whatever was going on, Madison saw the world through better eyes sometimes, and snuggled into her father's girlfriend and her best friend. "You're my hero, Fiona. I want you to smile," she said quietly as she leaned against her, Jonathan smiling slightly. His daughter deserved a role model. Someone different from him.
Fiona was taken back as she felt the young girl's arms wrap around her tightly, snuggling deeper into her side. She looked over at Jonathan, smiling softly, before she wrapped her arms around the young girl in return and hugged her tightly. "I will, munchkin. Especially since I have you in my life, I’ll be smiling. Plus, Daddy makes me smile too," she replied, smiling over at him before she leaned down to brush a kiss on Madison's head. "Alright, time to suck it up. I've got butt to kick."
"Good. I'm dropping you off at the school, you have someone waiting for you there," Jonathan said casually, giving her a tiny bit of a grin. It was a dismissive grin, but it was Jon giving her a chance to get used to the future that was no ahead of her. Jonathan had to get her ready. It was frustrating to hold the knowledge that she wasn't just his girlfriend, the woman he loved, but he had to do this for EXODUS. To fight a war that he couldn't even compete in, he had to be a general to a one-pixie army.
"If you tell me it's who I think it is? I hate you forever," she replied, glaring up at him as she finished eating her lunch and drinking her coffee. Several minutes later, Fiona and Jonathan were walking inside of the school while Madison waited in the car. "How convenient that you just so happened to have my duffle bag in your trunk too," she said as she laughed and shook her head, hitting him with her elbow gently.
Jonathan looked at her, stopping as he looked at her. For a moment, he reached and took her hand. "Look, I don't want you to be upset over this. When I need to play a plan close to the chest, I call in Cal. There's a lot I can't tell you just yet because I don't know what's going in on all parties. When I know, so will you. All you need to know right now is that I'm waiting on a war that I need you ready for. And if you keep letting people like Torment and Park into your head, you won't be ready. So you need to trust me, because you're one of the few I do in this company. Go in there, listen to him, and get your head in the game."
Fiona stared up at Jonathan as he gave her one of his pep talks, letting his words sink into her brain. She needed to have her game ready so that she didn't let her haters and doubters get the best of her. Squeezing his hand, she laced her fingers through his before turning her body to face him. "You know I trust you, Captain. You're one of the few here I do trust too so I'll do my best and I'll make you proud of me. I promise, okay?" Giving his hand another squeeze, she looked up at him and gave him a soft smile.
"I know you do. But this is more than the Winter Road. I'll fill you in soon enough, I promise," he told her, taking a deep breath. With a kiss to her forehead, he turned from her to walk off, letting her walking into the gym. It was quiet. Dim. And now that she was waiting, there it was.
"Storm says you got a soft center still. So I want you to come over here and hit me as hard you can," he told her. Fiona heard what she had to do, and as she threw her punch, the old man caught it and gripped her fist tight, like he was squeezing. "Do you know what makes ol' Storm successful? He can find the places you say you do. So with a little bit of help and a lot of pain...I'm gonna help you find those places. Bet your buddy didn't see this in your future, did she?"
Fiona winced as she felt his hand being squeezed more than it should be by Cal's much much larger fist. She had been training with Cal for what felt like a million years already but was in actuality just about fifteen minutes. He was a slave driver but she wasn't about to open her mouth to complain to a man who was at least 7 feet tall. "No, I don't think she did but believe me, I'm already in a lot of pain." She breathed deeply as she craned her neck to look up at him.
"No, you're not. You don't know the first meaning of pain...yet. But I'm gonna teach you pain. By the time I'm done with you...you're gonna be battle ready. You won't be a pixie, you're gonna be a Valkyrie," he said, twisting her arm and practically lifting her off her feet by just holding her fist.
"Class is in session, kiddo."
Fiona let out a short yelp of pain as she felt her wrist being wrenched by Cal's hand and weight and her feet being lifted off the mat. Was this supposed to help prepare her for battle or was Jon playing a joke on her and putting her through hell for the fun of it? She winced harder again, biting her lip to keep from screaming out at the pain in her wrist before she looked straight into Cal's eyes. Using her momentum, Fiona reared her foot back to kick it forward into his stomach.
Cal took the kick and took a couple steps back, dropping her as he looked at her. The smirk on his face was a little evil and devious, but he nodded. "Go to my bag and get me my Vicodin. You get storytime first instead of drills. I'm gonna tell you some stories you wouldn't even believe, kiddo. Consider this a thank you."
------------
It’s some hours later and the training school is now completely empty except for Fiona. She is fresh from the shower after her session with Cal; long hair slicked back into a low ponytail and body clad in a pair of sweatpants and her newest T-shirt: a black shirt with a honey badger on the front in the middle of a wrestling ring doing the “Gangnam Style” dance while on the back, it reads #HONEYBADGERSTYLE. She’s sitting in the middle of the practice ring indian style, the camera sitting across from her and aimed at her sitting form.
“So you all still doubt me? I've still got the title, and I proved to Johnny Cannon I was more than he expected. You know what that means? That's Fiona 2, haters 0."
She makes a zero with her fingers before she grins and laughs, grabbing the belt from beside her and throwing it over her shoulder.
“Also, I’ve noticed something lately. I’ve noticed that nobody around these parts seems to be pursuing after Kliff, or Justin Brooks, or even Omar Wise. Everyone’s pursuing me because I’VE got the gold. Not them but me and everybody wants me. I always wanted to be popular but this is getting to be a little crazy.”
“The matches just keep on getting bigger and better for me too, now that I’m the champion. I mean, first I got a chance to be champion and then I got the chance to defend it; both times I’ve won and proven myself to be on top. Now, I get the chance to clinch myself a spot on EXODUS Pro’s biggest show in not just any match but in a main event position. Not bad for a girl from Portland, am I right? And yet, I’m STILL constantly batting down haters, doubters, and people who I think I don’t deserve this title. Well come this weekend, I’m going to do everything in my power to prove them all wrong yet again. Because that’s what it takes to be Queen.”
“Oh and Daisuke, don’t think I forgot about you…..because I definitely didn’t. It’s high time that EXODUS got a dose of some of the Honey Badger and it plans on being in a straight on collision course with the biggest asshole in this entire freakin’ company. So, you’d better watch your back or sleep with one eye open. Because I will get you and it WILL hurt. I promise. In fact, it will hurt so bad that your little twinked out cousin will feel it.”
She smirks into the camera, eyes hard as they stare into the lens as if she were staring straight into the Asian’s face.
“Now, let’s get right down to business and talk about why we’re really here, shall we? Abby, Abby, Abby…..it sounds like I struck a nerve with you, didn’t it? Good. You also seem to be doing a bit of overachieving around here too, which is something I can appreciate and respect because I have myself. However, I also know that this is a chance for someone to prove that I’m nothing more than a fluke and that you want to be that someone. I can’t let it happen."
“I can't let it happen, because there's a higher level of expectations for me, and...well, let's be honest. You shouldn't be here. You got into the Winter Road on a technicality, because Omar Wise put the guy you replaced into intensive care. For someone accusing someone of unwarranted opportunities...well, let's just say it's ironic."
"Abby, listen. I get that you're good, but you know something? I've been better. That's not opinion, that's not hyperbole, it's just fact. Every week I've gone out and put my butt on the line against the biggest and baddest, and you want to tell me I'm nothing? Well you've got a chance to put your money where your mouth is in a few short days. The only problem with that is you've got no currency behind your accusations. That being said? Ante up with your ass, 'cause you ain't got a penny, Abby."
"And yes, pixies are small...but it's never been about size, Abby. It's been about what I can do with what I have...and while you think that implies my life with Jonathan Collins is what I'm doing, you're going to learn that what I can do is far, far worse than you've been able to imagine. You also seem to have a knack for assuming a lot and we all know what assuming makes, don’t we? And by the way, all of my threats are visible. You were invisible but now, it’s evident that you’re a clear and present danger. And now, I’m going to do everything in my power to put an end to that danger courtesy of an Expecto Patronum.”
"Listen close. Listen clear. When I'm done with you, there will be no excuses. You can't go tell the world Jonathan Collins screwed you. You can't blame it on bad officiating or anything else. Your played out game will be silenced like everyone else's has with the exception of that weasel, Donovan Torment. When you lose, the only person who will be accountable is you. And like my boyfriend used to say? There is nothing you can do about it."
“You know what though, Abby? You are right about one thing….fists do hurt. There’s something else that hurts me more though and that’s defeat. So do me a favor on Monday morning?”
“Tell me how it feels.”
Fade.
"You really need to relax. People say things, and you're letting them get to you," he told her, taking a bit from his bowl of soup. Jonathan Collins remained quiet, just glancing her way and reading and studying her body language. "Besides, you've got a lot more on your plate. I take it you've had a few sessions with my little surprise for you?" he asked her, raising his eyebrow before going for a sip of his coffee.
"How can I relax and let things just roll off my back when she pretty much just flat out called me a whore," she replied, glaring at him through narrowed eyes before she glanced down at Madison and shook her head. "Don't repeat that, kiddo," she nudged her before she sighed and looked back at Jon. "Yeah, I have. I still don't quite understand why you wanted to work with him though. I mean, he's big and scary and half the time he looks like he wants to rip my head off or eat me." She took a sip of her own coffee before she ripped a chunk of bread off and popped it into her mouth. "Is it like, some kind of punishment or something?"
"No, it's because of exactly reasons like this. One moment, you show me that you're tough and strong, and the next you let someone's words get into your head. You're strutting around, cock of the walk, just because you upset her. Now you're letting her upset you and it's ridiculous," he said to her. He glanced at her sternly, shaking his head and sighing. "Listen, Cal Ryder has saved me more times than I can count. This is my gift to you. It's an opportunity. It's like if I sent you to Mexico or Japan, I'm just sending you...well, to Texas."
Fiona frowned again even though she knew he was right. Whenever someone called her out on something that struck a nerve inside of her, she let it get to her more than it should and upset her. "I know, I know," she mumbled around her piece of bread before she reached across to his plate and stole a chip. "It's just weird because the last time I saw him, it seemed like he was changing you for the worst and taking you away from me and Jimmy," she revealed, her voice soft as she finally lifted her eyes to look up at him.
"What happened in Nashville with Cal and I had everything to do with what I was doing at the time. I had to take a gigantic gamble with the move I made, and...well, do you think it paid off? I could have ruled the roost of a company I wasn't happy with. Instead, I enforce the law of a company where people get a fair chance. The endgame is open to interpretation," he told her quietly. "Cal Ryder knows what he's doing, and he'll take you to a place where you can finish learning the things I can't teach you. There's a reason he's called The Monster," Jonathan said, finally tearing a portion of the bread bowl off so he could eat.
"Believe me, I know that," she said softly under her breath as she finally began to eat some of her salad, having felt better getting some of her worries off her chest. "He wants me to come back down there this weekend for another session, after the show of course." She glanced up at him then then frowned as she felt Madison's finger poking her incessantly in the cheek. "What in the world are you doing, Munchkin?" Fiona asked, chuckling as she turned her head to look down at the young girl beside her.
"Smile?" the little girl asked. Quickly, she looked up at Fiona and leaned in, hugging her. She tried to make her smile again. Regardless, Madison saw love. She saw hope. Whatever was going on, Madison saw the world through better eyes sometimes, and snuggled into her father's girlfriend and her best friend. "You're my hero, Fiona. I want you to smile," she said quietly as she leaned against her, Jonathan smiling slightly. His daughter deserved a role model. Someone different from him.
Fiona was taken back as she felt the young girl's arms wrap around her tightly, snuggling deeper into her side. She looked over at Jonathan, smiling softly, before she wrapped her arms around the young girl in return and hugged her tightly. "I will, munchkin. Especially since I have you in my life, I’ll be smiling. Plus, Daddy makes me smile too," she replied, smiling over at him before she leaned down to brush a kiss on Madison's head. "Alright, time to suck it up. I've got butt to kick."
"Good. I'm dropping you off at the school, you have someone waiting for you there," Jonathan said casually, giving her a tiny bit of a grin. It was a dismissive grin, but it was Jon giving her a chance to get used to the future that was no ahead of her. Jonathan had to get her ready. It was frustrating to hold the knowledge that she wasn't just his girlfriend, the woman he loved, but he had to do this for EXODUS. To fight a war that he couldn't even compete in, he had to be a general to a one-pixie army.
"If you tell me it's who I think it is? I hate you forever," she replied, glaring up at him as she finished eating her lunch and drinking her coffee. Several minutes later, Fiona and Jonathan were walking inside of the school while Madison waited in the car. "How convenient that you just so happened to have my duffle bag in your trunk too," she said as she laughed and shook her head, hitting him with her elbow gently.
Jonathan looked at her, stopping as he looked at her. For a moment, he reached and took her hand. "Look, I don't want you to be upset over this. When I need to play a plan close to the chest, I call in Cal. There's a lot I can't tell you just yet because I don't know what's going in on all parties. When I know, so will you. All you need to know right now is that I'm waiting on a war that I need you ready for. And if you keep letting people like Torment and Park into your head, you won't be ready. So you need to trust me, because you're one of the few I do in this company. Go in there, listen to him, and get your head in the game."
Fiona stared up at Jonathan as he gave her one of his pep talks, letting his words sink into her brain. She needed to have her game ready so that she didn't let her haters and doubters get the best of her. Squeezing his hand, she laced her fingers through his before turning her body to face him. "You know I trust you, Captain. You're one of the few here I do trust too so I'll do my best and I'll make you proud of me. I promise, okay?" Giving his hand another squeeze, she looked up at him and gave him a soft smile.
"I know you do. But this is more than the Winter Road. I'll fill you in soon enough, I promise," he told her, taking a deep breath. With a kiss to her forehead, he turned from her to walk off, letting her walking into the gym. It was quiet. Dim. And now that she was waiting, there it was.
"Storm says you got a soft center still. So I want you to come over here and hit me as hard you can," he told her. Fiona heard what she had to do, and as she threw her punch, the old man caught it and gripped her fist tight, like he was squeezing. "Do you know what makes ol' Storm successful? He can find the places you say you do. So with a little bit of help and a lot of pain...I'm gonna help you find those places. Bet your buddy didn't see this in your future, did she?"
Fiona winced as she felt his hand being squeezed more than it should be by Cal's much much larger fist. She had been training with Cal for what felt like a million years already but was in actuality just about fifteen minutes. He was a slave driver but she wasn't about to open her mouth to complain to a man who was at least 7 feet tall. "No, I don't think she did but believe me, I'm already in a lot of pain." She breathed deeply as she craned her neck to look up at him.
"No, you're not. You don't know the first meaning of pain...yet. But I'm gonna teach you pain. By the time I'm done with you...you're gonna be battle ready. You won't be a pixie, you're gonna be a Valkyrie," he said, twisting her arm and practically lifting her off her feet by just holding her fist.
"Class is in session, kiddo."
Fiona let out a short yelp of pain as she felt her wrist being wrenched by Cal's hand and weight and her feet being lifted off the mat. Was this supposed to help prepare her for battle or was Jon playing a joke on her and putting her through hell for the fun of it? She winced harder again, biting her lip to keep from screaming out at the pain in her wrist before she looked straight into Cal's eyes. Using her momentum, Fiona reared her foot back to kick it forward into his stomach.
Cal took the kick and took a couple steps back, dropping her as he looked at her. The smirk on his face was a little evil and devious, but he nodded. "Go to my bag and get me my Vicodin. You get storytime first instead of drills. I'm gonna tell you some stories you wouldn't even believe, kiddo. Consider this a thank you."
------------
It’s some hours later and the training school is now completely empty except for Fiona. She is fresh from the shower after her session with Cal; long hair slicked back into a low ponytail and body clad in a pair of sweatpants and her newest T-shirt: a black shirt with a honey badger on the front in the middle of a wrestling ring doing the “Gangnam Style” dance while on the back, it reads #HONEYBADGERSTYLE. She’s sitting in the middle of the practice ring indian style, the camera sitting across from her and aimed at her sitting form.
“So you all still doubt me? I've still got the title, and I proved to Johnny Cannon I was more than he expected. You know what that means? That's Fiona 2, haters 0."
She makes a zero with her fingers before she grins and laughs, grabbing the belt from beside her and throwing it over her shoulder.
“Also, I’ve noticed something lately. I’ve noticed that nobody around these parts seems to be pursuing after Kliff, or Justin Brooks, or even Omar Wise. Everyone’s pursuing me because I’VE got the gold. Not them but me and everybody wants me. I always wanted to be popular but this is getting to be a little crazy.”
“The matches just keep on getting bigger and better for me too, now that I’m the champion. I mean, first I got a chance to be champion and then I got the chance to defend it; both times I’ve won and proven myself to be on top. Now, I get the chance to clinch myself a spot on EXODUS Pro’s biggest show in not just any match but in a main event position. Not bad for a girl from Portland, am I right? And yet, I’m STILL constantly batting down haters, doubters, and people who I think I don’t deserve this title. Well come this weekend, I’m going to do everything in my power to prove them all wrong yet again. Because that’s what it takes to be Queen.”
“Oh and Daisuke, don’t think I forgot about you…..because I definitely didn’t. It’s high time that EXODUS got a dose of some of the Honey Badger and it plans on being in a straight on collision course with the biggest asshole in this entire freakin’ company. So, you’d better watch your back or sleep with one eye open. Because I will get you and it WILL hurt. I promise. In fact, it will hurt so bad that your little twinked out cousin will feel it.”
She smirks into the camera, eyes hard as they stare into the lens as if she were staring straight into the Asian’s face.
“Now, let’s get right down to business and talk about why we’re really here, shall we? Abby, Abby, Abby…..it sounds like I struck a nerve with you, didn’t it? Good. You also seem to be doing a bit of overachieving around here too, which is something I can appreciate and respect because I have myself. However, I also know that this is a chance for someone to prove that I’m nothing more than a fluke and that you want to be that someone. I can’t let it happen."
“I can't let it happen, because there's a higher level of expectations for me, and...well, let's be honest. You shouldn't be here. You got into the Winter Road on a technicality, because Omar Wise put the guy you replaced into intensive care. For someone accusing someone of unwarranted opportunities...well, let's just say it's ironic."
"Abby, listen. I get that you're good, but you know something? I've been better. That's not opinion, that's not hyperbole, it's just fact. Every week I've gone out and put my butt on the line against the biggest and baddest, and you want to tell me I'm nothing? Well you've got a chance to put your money where your mouth is in a few short days. The only problem with that is you've got no currency behind your accusations. That being said? Ante up with your ass, 'cause you ain't got a penny, Abby."
"And yes, pixies are small...but it's never been about size, Abby. It's been about what I can do with what I have...and while you think that implies my life with Jonathan Collins is what I'm doing, you're going to learn that what I can do is far, far worse than you've been able to imagine. You also seem to have a knack for assuming a lot and we all know what assuming makes, don’t we? And by the way, all of my threats are visible. You were invisible but now, it’s evident that you’re a clear and present danger. And now, I’m going to do everything in my power to put an end to that danger courtesy of an Expecto Patronum.”
"Listen close. Listen clear. When I'm done with you, there will be no excuses. You can't go tell the world Jonathan Collins screwed you. You can't blame it on bad officiating or anything else. Your played out game will be silenced like everyone else's has with the exception of that weasel, Donovan Torment. When you lose, the only person who will be accountable is you. And like my boyfriend used to say? There is nothing you can do about it."
“You know what though, Abby? You are right about one thing….fists do hurt. There’s something else that hurts me more though and that’s defeat. So do me a favor on Monday morning?”
“Tell me how it feels.”
Fade.
