Flawless. (Dungeons & Dragons)

[Jennie Docherty / Djinnie!]

The scenery opens up inside of a cavern… The challenger for the IWF Women’s World Championship at Metamorphosis is front and center, and alone, but that doesn’t take away the strut from her step as she bobs her head back and forth to the music inside her head. The light becomes dimmer and dimmer as she ventures further inside the cave, and a dense smog comes from much deeper. She has a stave resting on her shoulders with both of her arms wrapped around it to hold it centered…the rubble crunches beneath her feet as she comes to a stop, and pivots on her heels to look back at the entrance of the cave. The sunlight is starting to sink under the horizon giving less and less natural light.

Jennie smacks her lips together and shakes her head. She ventures even further into the cave, turning her attention that way while simultaneously twirling the stave from her back to her front as she waves a hand in front of it and a lavender light begins to emit from the top of it. Just as she takes her first step forward, a fresh wave of smog rushes past her.

“The things I do for these people…”

“Jennie!” a voice resonates as if coming out of the air, and Jennie starts looking around aimlessly, “JENNIE!”

The imagery suddenly fades, and Jennie finds herself sitting at the kitchen table where many friends and family are sitting around the table in the middle of a rousing game of Dungeons & Dragons…Jennie glances around the table and purses her lips together, “Hmm?” she inquires.

Sitting at the head of the table is Tara with her piercing blue eyes locked on her sister, “Don’t you want to wait for the rest of the party to catch up with you?” Tara asks.

“I-I-I–” Jennie stutters momentarily, “They’re taking too long! I thought I’d just drop in and see what all the hubbub is about.”

Allen nods his head, “She is fluent in draconic.”

“Yeah! I just wanna talk to him!” Jennie insists.

“You want to talk to the dragon?” Tara blinks several times in response.

“Yeah huh!” Jennie answers even more excitedly.

“Oh… okay… So you’re in the cave, and you can feel the warmth of the dragon’s breath–” Tara narrates as the scenery fades out from the table area, and back into the cavern where Jennie is still walking through the narrow cavern with a pep in her step, but she holds the stave out to let the light guide the way.

“I’m going to have to have a talk with this dragon about proper dental hygiene ‘cause it reeks!” Jennie exclaims.

“Can you hurry up and open the gate?” Another voice asks.

Jennie stops in her tracks yet again, and screams into the void, “If you wanted to get in here quicker you should’ve been a druid!” she stomps her feet.

“I’m Thaddeus the Lionheart, PALADIN! And I have a dragon to vanquish!”

While the cavern behind Jennie is now pitch black, the cavern in front of her is beginning to illuminate even inside of the passageway until Jennie doesn’t even need her staff to light the way… The room opens up into a grand hall! The floor is littered with gold and every amount of treasure you could imagine seeing, and the mere presence of Jennie seems to awaken the slumbering beast - the dragon rises, eerily similar as if Bilbo were laying his eyes on Smaug, but less fear from Jennie as she holds her stave as if prepared for combat and the dragon unleashes a mighty roar that causes the entire room to quake.

It appeared as if the two were fated to have a duel, although Jennie insisted she just wanted to talk… And just as it seems like she may have no choice but to quarrel, the scenery fades to black, and it remains as such for several prolonging seconds until finally fading back in inside of a similar room– Jennie is kicking the gold under her feet, and scoffs while wandering aimlessly.

“This is what you wanted–” Jennie says.

A voice is heard in the air, “Oh, is that what we’re doing? We’re listening to her monologue?”

Jennie scrunches her face, aggravated over the snarky remark heard in the air, “SA! HARE! BEAR! I– it– it– it’s important, okay?!”

“Okay, okay! Sheesh.”

Silence remains for a little bit longer as Jennie continues standing and staring over her head until she’s satisfied.

“This is what you wanted, Brooklyn. And all I can really ask is: why? WHY did you want to be in the ring with me? WHY did you want to give me this– this opportunity? Was there a part of you that thought– that knew– you didn’t have what it takes to beat me?” Jennie purses her lips together and waits for a couple of seconds as if Brooklyn would answer, “Is this about proving to yourself? Y’see, we’ve done this dance so many times… and all in one year!” She mouths the word “one” again, showing sheer and utter disbelief yet excitement.

“One year ago, you were sitting at home… licking your wounds… telling April that you were never going to compete again– that this life was behind you… But you got involved and justified it as you were helping a friend…” Jennie sighs, “You were helping a friend that TRIED to RUN! ME! OVER! Like– do you understand that when I wanted to even the score with you for intervening in a matter that didn’t concern you, there was absolutely zero chance that you would be perceived as doing the right thing? But that’s okay, honey. Neither here nor there. In under one year, you and I will have been in the ring– one-on-one. Mano a mano. FIVE times. FIVE times we will have laid it all on the line with each other.”

Jennie counts each one out, “High Stakes. Night of the Immortals. Bloody Assizes. Diamonds Are Forever. And now– Metamorphosis… But there’s something about this one, ‘cause you wanted something more. You wanted: to the death!” She raises her hand in a mockery of a salute, “So I’m asking– do you feel you have something to prove to yourself? ‘Cause the first three times we were in the ring with each other, neither one of us stooped to a low level. Neither one of us looked for an easy way out. And– y’know what’s actually really silly about this whole situation? Out of the two of us– I’m the one who never came up with an excuse… I mean, High Stakes, what was it? You were rusty? So– again, I ask, after what happened at Diamonds Are Forever– I don’t know what came over you, whether it was desperation… instinct… or whatever you want to call it… Do you have something to prove to yourself?” The question lingers for several seconds, as Jennie adjusts her posture a little bit, stabbing the end of the stave into a pile of gold.

“I brought bobas! How far’d you all get?” The familiar voice of Cliff Cook resonates in the air, and Jennie again grumbles.

“Jennie won’t open the door!” Thad answers.

“The more you both interrupt her the longer this is going to take!”

Jennie waits for a couple more seconds, and then feigns a smile before directing her attention to the camera ahead of her yet again, “But maybe this isn’t about proving it to yourself… Maybe it’s about proving it to that little clique of yours, and proving that you can be their fearless leader? ‘Cause– you have to be asking yourself– what do they think about you?” She asks rhetorically, and glances over her shoulder before taking a seat on a hefty chest that happens to be poking out from the mound of gold, acting as a perfect chair.

“What do they think about the fact that you found an easy way out the last time we were in the ring with each other? What do they think about the fact that you haven’t defended the title as spectacularly as you said that you would? ‘Cause that’s the whole mission of THE MURDER, innit? Proving that all of you are leagues above the rest of the competition, but y’know what I see when I see all the members of The Murder…? A waste of time.” She scoffs, “A complete and utter waste of time ‘cause y’all came in and put the whole roster on notice, and then what did you do after that? NOTHING! Absolutely, positively, inconceivably NOTHING! To the point that someone attacks your little ringleader, and now you have no direction, but the truth is… you never did.” She shakes her head.

“Is it about proving it to the world? I mean, let me just repeat myself for a moment here, but I never made any excuses for why I lost– I never justified myself or claimed that I should be champion… Never claimed myself to be the rightful champion. Didn’t storm my way out of any building and say that was total BS! Not once. But them…” Jennie gestures around her as if she were surrounded by her millions– HER HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of fans! She nods her head a little bit as if she could hear the roaring of the crowd from every corner of the giant room.

“They seem quite adamant about telling me that I should be the champion, and quite clear that– you don’t deserve it. Let’s look at the facts: when you won the title from me, you were on some sort of… mission… some sort of vendetta where you believed that you were going to be the one to make that title mean something! I tried. And y’know what I did behind the scenes when you did win the title from me? I rooted for you! I wanted you to continue carrying that title to new heights, and bring all of the competition for the championship! But let’s go ahead and look at what you’ve done… and what I’ve done… when I was the champion. I only had two successful defenses in my first run as champion– and…it’s a shame… it’s shameful, I know, but let’s look at who I beat to win the title: I beat Caroline Machado, a woman that you said I was wasting my time with. I beat– Shelly Diamond– the only woman to have surpassed everything you’ve done, and I beat– you. I beat the two greatest IWF Women’s World Champions in the history of the company in a single run, and so while it wasn’t some grand run that I thought would break every record, I beat the two women who broke every record! And now– you– who have you beaten? What have you done to make that title mean– anything? You beat me. You beat– Caroline Machado– the same woman you claimed was an easy out for me… and then… the Survival of the Fittest… So what have you done that was so much more grand than me? What makes you better than me? What makes you more deserving than me?” Jennie takes a deep breath as she silently contemplates the question for herself.

“You had a year of SITTING ON YOUR ASS, while I had half a year as champion– TRYING to provoke all of the challengers to come out of the woods! And successfully provoked you… Successfully defeated the two biggest wolves in the history of the company, and when I lost the title– I tried to rebuild! And I had a lot on my plate, honey… But I never turned down a match that was issued to me! I never ran nor ducked anybody! And then I got into Heiress to the Throne, and of all the paths, I had one of the toughest! Shea O’Hara– spoiled her return. Virginia Stepanov, coming hot off of earning her spot at Survival of the Fittest where her team just wasn’t good enough, and neither was she... story of her life, right?! I spoiled her momentum. Zasshu II– an incredibly gifted and talented up-and-comer, and I beat her to become Heiress to the Throne! So who had the bigger year? But how is anyone but the champion going to be crowned as DIAMOND OF THE YEAR? How would that look, huh?” Jennie chuckles under her breath, and rolls her eyes.

“I did more than you, Brooklyn. I worked harder than you, and I worked hard to become Heiress to the Throne. I worked hard to earn a chance to fight you for the title! And– y’know what else? Ever since I got into the family business, I worked twice as hard as anybody else… and I earned everything that I’ve gotten! I’ve earned every opportunity, every title, every cheer, every fan! I earned them because… I work hard. I went from the ground to the top! To win the grandest prize in the business! I earned everything, and I earned a chance to fight you in the middle of the ring for the championship– and just like the stories I ruined for others, I had mine ruined because something came over you… And like I said before, people can say all they want that the story isn’t finished, but that story is– the Heiress to the Throne did not successfully win the championship. It happens. We don’t always win. But that’s our story, and all we can do is move onto the next… That’s life, right? This isn’t the story of Heiress to the Throne. This is the SAGA of JENNIE!” She says whilst pointing to herself.

“Ever since you won the championship from me, the only thing that’s been on my mind was– rebuilding… becoming better than I was! And believe me when I say, I have excelled. I have become better. I looked for every little chink in the armor, and I did my best to seal it– to have an impenetrable defense… To be… flawless. And that’s why I busted my ass doing everything I’ve done! Because I want to win the championship back. I want to have my name cemented in the legacy of this company! I want people to think of the IWF Women’s World Championship– the division– the company– and think of me! I want a second chance with the belt, and I want to do everything that I promised I would– I want to do everything you promised you would! I want to take on any– and all– challengers, and I want people to sing praises of our name, and know that if they want the biggest title in the industry then they’re going to have to look no further than to come after the IWF Women’s World Championship! That’s what I want, Brooklyn!” She says with a confident smirk, mirroring that of her family, but poised in a different manner. A true looming confidence.

“You can say anything you want about me, Brookie, ‘cause it’s nothing that I haven’t heard before… I’ve heard everybody that was jealous of me try to whisper whatever they could behind my back and think that I wouldn’t hear about it. I’ve heard people say– I only got to where I am ‘cause of my sister. I’ve heard people say that I don’t deserve anything, and that I haven’t earned it– I’ve heard them make up every little thing they could… they would fling everything and try to see what would stick, but the best part– none of it ever does.” Jennie shrugs off everything that comes to her mind.

“I told you that I wasn’t going to cry for a match, and you can dial it back to when I wanted to invoke my rematch clause but… that’s exactly what I said it was: a rematch clause. And y’know what’s going to happen if I beat you this week? You can invoke yours! Or you can go back into hiding– your choice… But I just find it interesting that you suddenly want to make a stipulation that if I fail to beat you this week, I can never challenge you for the championship! Basically– I get to sit on the sideline and watch everyone else try… until you just can’t go anymore… And now– I’m a little confused as to how you justified yourself for that response since I did, by all technicality, defeat you at Diamonds Are Forever, but that’s okay! And then– to top it off– you want the Dragon’s Den. You want to be locked in a cage with me with every kind of weapon imaginable at our disposal!” Jennie sucks in air heavily through her teeth, and can’t contain a little bit of a sadistic smile as she is beaming at the thought.

Jennie was no stranger to being creative in the methods she could implement in hurting her opponents. Hardcore was something that seemed to come natural for Djinnie. Some objects that were not typically viewed as dangerous could become quite deadly in her hands, and she knew it.

“And that’s why I asked all those questions– who are you doing this for? Are you doing this for you? Are you doing this for The Murder? Or are you doing this to prove to the world that you deserve to be the champ, and you deserved to be named Diamond of the Year? These are all very serious questions, honey! All these toys– all these weapons– all these delights– at my disposal… And I welcome you to use everything you have, and bring even more! It’s one of those things, again, that you can say anything you want about me– you can say that I’m just the little sister… but I’m also the one fighter who you just can’t get rid of! No matter how many times I’ve been knocked down, I’m always right back up, and right back in your face. And– let’s say you do beat me– I’m still going to be haunting you. I’m still going to be that pain in your ass that you can never get rid of!” She says with a light hearted cackle.

“But let me make myself crystal clear: I have no intention of walking out without the championship this Sunday! At Metamorphosis, I intend to be named… a two-time… IWF Women’s World Champion, and the only thing I’m going to do after that, Brookie, is I am going to give you the chance to invoke your rematch clause! I’m going to give you the chance to take back the title! And– I’m going to have no intention of dropping it anytime soon. I’m going to hold it for a damn long time! And I’m going to do everything I said I would, and everything you said you would, and everything Shelly wanted to do– I am going to defend this title against all comers, and I don’t care what Roberto has to say about it. I don’t care what Jess Fowler has to say about it. I don’t care what anyone has to say about it! It’s going to be the most prestigious championship in the history of our company, and in the history of our industry… And people… are always… going to… remember… me. And they’re going to remember me for being the greatest!.”

Jennie blows a kiss to the camera, “See you Sunday. Ciao for now!” She waves at the camera as the scenery fades back out momentarily, only to go back into the dragon’s den where Jennie is seen sitting on the shoulder of the enormous dragon as she pets the scales as if the dragon were a mere kitten.

“So, y’see, you can’t just go hoarding the gold… Like, what good is it to you if you don’t have anything to show for it? It’s just sitting here… gathering dust… do you understand what I’m trying to say?” Jennie speaks in draconic, while still petting the dragon.

“They won’t let me into the town to spend any of it! I wanted to invest in their education… their healthcare… A proper disposal system, because you haven’t seen what I’ve seen, druid! You haven’t heard what I heard from my cousin, the leviathan, and they keep dumping their trash in his ocean!” The dragon, which sounds eerily similar to Benedict Cumberbatch, answers.

“I’m going to have some words with them ‘cause that’s just not right! They need to dispose properly of their waste otherwise it’s going to completely destroy our nature, and as a druid, that is something that I can’t stand for!” Jennie sounds just as angry as the dragon now.

“RIGHT?! They live here, too, but they don’t care!” the dragon answers.

Just then, the howls of combat start echoing throughout the hall as the front gate falls down as the rest of the party members come charging in! But their warcry suddenly starts dying down.

“Damn– DAMN IT!” The scenery goes back to the real world in which we see everyone sitting around the table, except for Thaddeus Duke who has pushes his chair back to the point of it toppling over, “You befriended the dragon?!”

“He’s really nice, okay?! He has good motives!”

Thad turns his attention to Tara, “Are you going to allow this?!”

“She– she kept getting some really good rolls… There was no way around it.” Tara looks just as baffled as everyone else.

Thad picks up his chair, and plops back down, “I was gonna make my dragon armor out of his bones, and now I can’t even…” he continues grumbling momentarily.

“I heard that the townspeople were dumping their sewage at the leviathan… Do you want to go make them clean it up?”

“You’re damn right.” Thad answers.

Scene ends.