Post by Hope FHK on Jun 24, 2018 21:04:00 GMT
She rushed through to the backstage area, her senses were on fire. The lights, the noise, the heat….everything was so intense. It reminded her of being in battle, but the face of those around her showed her the complete opposite. People were smiling, cheering….actually enjoying themselves. It wasn’t a sight she was used to, but it was still jarring. Her pulse was thudding in her head, her ears were ringing, but still she pressed on. The faces...the people backstage didn’t seem to pay her too much mind. She hoped the crazy man she’d met was telling the truth, she hoped she’d made it….she hoped with every inch of her that she made it in time to meet her father….
That was when she saw him, as she rounded a corner….Spike Kane came out of a locker room, flanked by Pandora Freeman-Hall-Kane, and Astrid Hall. She froze in place, ice flooded through her veins. Everything she ever wanted was right in front of her, but ….she just couldn’t move. She’d fought in battles that literally defined the world, she’d lost people she cared for and loved…..she’d led those closest to her into war….but right now, Hope Freeman-Hall-Kane...was a scared little girl, who just wanted to meet her Dad….and was too afraid to take that step.
“Hey…..you quite done fangirling yet?”
The voice broke her trance, it was a voice that sounded so familiar, though usually punctuated with much more cussing. Slowly, Hope turned to see Dawn Halliwell, and her jaw almost hit the floor. Dawn stood there, her arms folded, as if she’d caught some kind of creepy fan peering in on her family. Little did Dawn know, that Hope’s heart was melting at the sight of her. She couldn’t sum up the courage to say anything, instead staring back at her half sister, she simply shook her head and backed up a little. Dawn rolled her eyes and walked past Hope, heading down the corridor to catch up with Spike, Astrid, and Pandora. As she does so, she begins to tell them about the person she just saw, the four of them turn to look…
...but Hope is gone.
Light was beginning to fade as she approached the school come home of Spike, Astrid, and Pandora. Her arms tingled from her shoulders all the way down to her fingers as she approached the building. A light shone from inside, the school clearly wasn’t open for business, but somebody was downstairs at least. Tentatively, Hope began to approach the door, she gave it a tug...and a small part of her was hoping that it was closed so that she could run away, instead the door gently opened….and the sound of music began to fill her ears. The soft strums of an acoustic guitar, and her Mom’s voice…..a voice she loved so much, a voice that filled her with a sense of safety, yet could also fill her with adrenaline before charging into battle….how she longed to embrace her.
“Man, one day? You gotta do my fuckin’ entrance it’d be so sick.”
Dawn Haliwell sat on a stool in the corner of the room, Spike sat next to her the acoustic guitar across his lap as he strummed out “Thunderstruck” in a bizarely melodic way. Pandora was blushing from the compliment from Dawn, and Astrid was laying on the sofa with her feet up beaming at her family. Slowly, but surely Hope began to approach the four of them.
“Ahem…”
Immediately the tone in the room changed. Dawn and Spike jumped to their feet, Spike raising the guitar, ready to smash it over someone’s head. Hope lowered her head a little, before holding her arms up to show she meant no harm.
“It’s that creep from earlier!”
She wanted to protest off the bat, clearly her interaction with Dawn and this situation was not painting her in the best of lights.
“No please. I’m no creep….it’s not like that…”
Astrid began to sit up as Hope slowly got closer. She knelt down on one knee, and pulled something from a battered and beaten scabbard on her back. Spike’s eyes nearly fell out of his head as the distinctive shimmer of a sword caught his eye.
“Wow, hold the fuck up!”
Without thinking he move in front of Astrid, as if to protect her. Pandora cocked her head sideways and stepped forward.
“Is that?”
Hope looked up at the four of them, tears were streaming down her face as she held the sword across her palms out towards them. Astrid almost shoved Spike out of the way as she jumped up to approach her, investigating the sword as she does.
“”How is this? ….this is impossible. Who are you child?”
She all but squatted down next to Hope as she took the sword from her. Hope was lost for words, her hands were shaking. She looked up to Astrid, a deep sad smile on her face as she slowly placed a trembling hand upon her belly. Spike, Dawn, and Pandora quickly exchanged looks. Nobody but them knew….and of course the brass at IWF...but it wasn’t public knowledge.
“This is Rowan, it’s some trick!”
Spike began to approach but Astrid shot him a look that calmed him instantly.
“This is no trick Spike…..this…...this child…..she is our…..”
Pandora finally clicked as she stepped even closer, her eyes wide with realisation.
“Our Hope.”
She bit her lower lip as she looked up at both her mothers and her father and nodded as tears flooded from her face. In an instant, Astrids arms embraced her, and soon after Pandora followed. Spike still looked untrusting, the guitar still high in the air, and Dawn just looked at everyone as if to say “what the actual fuck!?” before Spike slowly placed the guitar down.
“How?”
He managed to mumble. Hope tried to talk, through her muffled sobs.
“A man came….his name was ….Bad, or Chad…..Thad? He said he’d come from this moment in time….and….when he was to return, I….oh god, I kicked him out of the way and jumped through! I just wanted to see you! I wanted to meet you!”
She looked right at Spike as she said this.
“....meet me? …...oh….”
The realisation of her words hit him like a truck and his head lowered and sunk. It hit Dawn too, she knew exactly what Hope was saying….but we don’t get anymore, because this is where we leave this family. In a weird mix of sadness and happiness….we fade.
That was when she saw him, as she rounded a corner….Spike Kane came out of a locker room, flanked by Pandora Freeman-Hall-Kane, and Astrid Hall. She froze in place, ice flooded through her veins. Everything she ever wanted was right in front of her, but ….she just couldn’t move. She’d fought in battles that literally defined the world, she’d lost people she cared for and loved…..she’d led those closest to her into war….but right now, Hope Freeman-Hall-Kane...was a scared little girl, who just wanted to meet her Dad….and was too afraid to take that step.
“Hey…..you quite done fangirling yet?”
The voice broke her trance, it was a voice that sounded so familiar, though usually punctuated with much more cussing. Slowly, Hope turned to see Dawn Halliwell, and her jaw almost hit the floor. Dawn stood there, her arms folded, as if she’d caught some kind of creepy fan peering in on her family. Little did Dawn know, that Hope’s heart was melting at the sight of her. She couldn’t sum up the courage to say anything, instead staring back at her half sister, she simply shook her head and backed up a little. Dawn rolled her eyes and walked past Hope, heading down the corridor to catch up with Spike, Astrid, and Pandora. As she does so, she begins to tell them about the person she just saw, the four of them turn to look…
...but Hope is gone.
~-~-~-~
I am not a wrestler. Not yet, at least. I did not come here to compete in this farce, I did not come to be under some mans control. I did not risk everything in my life, everything I worked for, everyone I cared for….to be a puppet. To play some role, no...I am no pawn. I am a warrior, I am a seasoned veteran of combat, and now I get to put that training towards this new training. The Last Rites match, any and all comers are welcome….well, it’s time the world knew what the future had in store for it. It’s time the world knew what women can, and will do…
It’s time for the Valkyrie to ride.
I know that this is a baptism of fire. I know that there are incredibly talented, gifted, experienced women going into this match, and I also know that the odds of my victory are against me. That never stopped me in my past, and it won’t stop me in this present either. There are people in this match….people who don’t quite know me, yet. People who may very well one day become as close as family, hell some of them are…..it’s confusing, I’m as confused as the rest of you. However, what better way to show my family, to show both future friends and enemies who I am, and what I stand for, than going into this battlezone they call the Squared Circle and causing as much havoc as both my father and mother are renown for. The Wrath of the Blood God, the Strength of the Shield Maiden, and the flair of the Skald.
My mothers raised me to be a noble, honourable, respectful human being. Don’t for one second think that they did not pass on their considerable skills, their tenacity, their drive, and their desire to do right by those who need it. I grew up in a war torn world, a place that had been ravaged by the wars starting today….and it burns me up inside seeing those who cause so much chaos, so much damages….so much wasted life….walking around, with smiles plastered on their faces. It fills me with an anger I haven’t felt in a long time. My Mother used to say I got that from my Father. His Irish temper she would call it, sometimes in hushed tones…..she would tell me the tales of my Father, of the battles he would wage….the blood he would loose from his enemies, as well as himself. The lengths he would go to, just to ensure victory….and how very protective he was of those close to him.
I never knew my Father.
It’s why I’m here now.
I gambled everything, and I literally mean everything, just to meet my Father. Just to see him, even if just once….now I’m here, and I’m stuck here. My father, my Mom, they’re training me….and I’ve never been so happy. I’ve never felt so warm, but I know now that there is a burden upon my shoulders. I have a chance, one sliver of a chance to prevent my past from being this worlds future...and to do that, I have to go through their channels, I have to work from the bottom up and put an end to this war before it reaches the tipping point. This Last Rites match is the first step in that plan, it is there first time I’ll be able to get my hands on some people I’ve waited almost a lifetime to do so….and I have oh so much pain, anger, and anguish to vent.
Oh you have no idea.
The good thing about this, is that I’m as much of an unknown as I am an anomaly. Nobody can prepare for me, nobody knows what I am capable of, but I know everything there is to know about every single one of you. I’ve studied my history, I’ve got my gameplan and what works even more in my favour? It’s the fact that the Last Rites match is anything but a wrestling match.
It’s going to be a battle.
Skål.
~-~-~-~
Light was beginning to fade as she approached the school come home of Spike, Astrid, and Pandora. Her arms tingled from her shoulders all the way down to her fingers as she approached the building. A light shone from inside, the school clearly wasn’t open for business, but somebody was downstairs at least. Tentatively, Hope began to approach the door, she gave it a tug...and a small part of her was hoping that it was closed so that she could run away, instead the door gently opened….and the sound of music began to fill her ears. The soft strums of an acoustic guitar, and her Mom’s voice…..a voice she loved so much, a voice that filled her with a sense of safety, yet could also fill her with adrenaline before charging into battle….how she longed to embrace her.
“Man, one day? You gotta do my fuckin’ entrance it’d be so sick.”
Dawn Haliwell sat on a stool in the corner of the room, Spike sat next to her the acoustic guitar across his lap as he strummed out “Thunderstruck” in a bizarely melodic way. Pandora was blushing from the compliment from Dawn, and Astrid was laying on the sofa with her feet up beaming at her family. Slowly, but surely Hope began to approach the four of them.
“Ahem…”
Immediately the tone in the room changed. Dawn and Spike jumped to their feet, Spike raising the guitar, ready to smash it over someone’s head. Hope lowered her head a little, before holding her arms up to show she meant no harm.
“It’s that creep from earlier!”
She wanted to protest off the bat, clearly her interaction with Dawn and this situation was not painting her in the best of lights.
“No please. I’m no creep….it’s not like that…”
Astrid began to sit up as Hope slowly got closer. She knelt down on one knee, and pulled something from a battered and beaten scabbard on her back. Spike’s eyes nearly fell out of his head as the distinctive shimmer of a sword caught his eye.
“Wow, hold the fuck up!”
Without thinking he move in front of Astrid, as if to protect her. Pandora cocked her head sideways and stepped forward.
“Is that?”
Hope looked up at the four of them, tears were streaming down her face as she held the sword across her palms out towards them. Astrid almost shoved Spike out of the way as she jumped up to approach her, investigating the sword as she does.
“”How is this? ….this is impossible. Who are you child?”
She all but squatted down next to Hope as she took the sword from her. Hope was lost for words, her hands were shaking. She looked up to Astrid, a deep sad smile on her face as she slowly placed a trembling hand upon her belly. Spike, Dawn, and Pandora quickly exchanged looks. Nobody but them knew….and of course the brass at IWF...but it wasn’t public knowledge.
“This is Rowan, it’s some trick!”
Spike began to approach but Astrid shot him a look that calmed him instantly.
“This is no trick Spike…..this…...this child…..she is our…..”
Pandora finally clicked as she stepped even closer, her eyes wide with realisation.
“Our Hope.”
She bit her lower lip as she looked up at both her mothers and her father and nodded as tears flooded from her face. In an instant, Astrids arms embraced her, and soon after Pandora followed. Spike still looked untrusting, the guitar still high in the air, and Dawn just looked at everyone as if to say “what the actual fuck!?” before Spike slowly placed the guitar down.
“How?”
He managed to mumble. Hope tried to talk, through her muffled sobs.
“A man came….his name was ….Bad, or Chad…..Thad? He said he’d come from this moment in time….and….when he was to return, I….oh god, I kicked him out of the way and jumped through! I just wanted to see you! I wanted to meet you!”
She looked right at Spike as she said this.
“....meet me? …...oh….”
The realisation of her words hit him like a truck and his head lowered and sunk. It hit Dawn too, she knew exactly what Hope was saying….but we don’t get anymore, because this is where we leave this family. In a weird mix of sadness and happiness….we fade.
Well howdy there pardner.