Post by April Madrox on Jun 9, 2024 22:23:29 GMT
“Konnichiwa to each and every one of you knuckleheads who thought I wouldn’t come through at Night of the Immortals! All you naysayers who kept doubting me and saying that there was no way that the Murder was going to stand up to those ol’ Birds of Prey -”
“Hey,” Brooklyn hollers from the other room, “knock it off - we lost the match ya dip.”
April blinks at the camera for a moment, a small pout on her face. “You know,” she continues, “all I wanted was, like, five minutes to pretend like that whole match didn’t just blow up in our faces.”
“Wars not over,” Brooklyn calls out to the sound of pans banging on a stove.
“Yeah,” April agrees, while attempting to look as tough as she can, “the war is certainly not over - but there’s a new battle to be fought and it looks like me and Dean-oh have got our work cut out for us straight outta the gate.”
“Hey,” Brooklyn calls out once more, “is this match intergender rules?”
April pauses for a moment to mull it over. “Um, yeah - not sure. I mean, on the one hand, it’s on Odyssey right?”
“Yup” she hears her sister say.
“But all the matches aren’t on Odyssey. I mean,” April shrugs, “I guess we won’t know until I give Nicky a Detroit Smash to the side of his smug little head and see what happens.”
Brooklyn pops her head in the doorway, “Stay away from Nick Knight, please”
April shakes her head, “Uh uh, no way - Dean and I have as good a chance at winning this match as any, but you can’t expect me to just focus all of my attention on Katie…”
“Kasey”
“Yeah, her too.”
“She’s undefeated you know,” Brooklyn adds before heading back to the kitchen area.
“Well, I’m pretty sure that doesn’t matter when she’s only been facing people on Coliseum, BrookLYN!” April says, raising her voice to yell the last syllable of her sister’s name. “But seriously, it’s cool if she’s all undefeated and stuff, but she’s basically a carbon copy of every other girl we’ve got here. She’s all speed and flippy stuff, just like Charlotte, just like Jennie, just like yooooooooou,”
“Just like you two, stupid”
“I WAS GETTING TO THAT!”
April smooths her hair, “and just like me. The fact that she runs circles around her opponents doesn’t help much when she’s in the ring with someone who can walk the walk, or I guess run the run?
But unlike ol’ Kaley-”
“Kasey” Brooklyn calls out.
“KASEY, unlike Kasey and Nick who have no experience with each other I’ve got …”
“My estranged brother?”
“Yes! I’ve got your estranged brother who just so happens to be a, until very recently, World champion! So Kenzie-”
“Kasey!”
“-and Nick can talk all they want, but the fact of the matter is that there’s only one way to those thrones - that’s through us. Caw-caw for now, Kaylee!”
“Kasey.”
“KASEY!”
April paced around the hotel room, her excitement palpable. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, adjusting her dress and fluffing her hair. She turned to Brooklyn, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out the window at the bustling Osaka cityscape. Brooklyn's face was a mask of concern, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.
"Brook, you look great," April said, trying to lighten the mood. "This dinner is going to be fine. It's just a chance for us all to get on the same page."
Brooklyn tore her gaze from the window, giving April a half-hearted smile. "I know, April. It's just... Dean. I still have trouble trusting him after everything that's happened. It's not that easy to forget."
April walked over and sat beside her sister, bumping playfully into her before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I get it, I really do. But if we're going to work together, we need to at least try to move past the old grudges. I think tonight could be a good start in that direction!"
Brooklyn sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's not just about old grudges. It's about protecting you. I can't let history repeat itself, not when it comes to Dean."
"I appreciate that, Brook. But I've got this. And besides, Warren will be there. It's not like we'll be alone with Dean the entire time. It'll be fine."
Brooklyn looked into her sister's eyes, searching for any sign of doubt. She found none. April was confident and determined, qualities Brooklyn admired but also worried about. She couldn't shake the feeling that something might go wrong, that Dean might somehow find a way to hurt them again.
"Alright," Brooklyn said finally, standing up and smoothing her dress. "Let's go get this over with."
April beamed, giving her sister a quick hug. "That's the spirit! Let's go show Dean that the Madrox sisters aren't to be messed with."
They left their hotel room and made their way down to the lobby, where a car was waiting to take them to the restaurant. The drive was relatively short, but the tension in the car was still thick. April kept trying to make small talk, but Brooklyn's mind was elsewhere, replaying old memories and fears. It didn’t take long for April to stop and just enjoy the scene outside the car window.
A few moments later the pair arrived at the trendy downtown Osaka sushi restaurant, the sisters stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. April could sense Brooklyn's unease and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Just remember, we're here to start fresh. Let's give it a chance."
Brooklyn nodded, though her expression remained cautious. They entered the restaurant, greeted by the buzz of conversation and the clinking of glasses. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the tension and storm of emotions brewing inside Brooklyn.
As they approached their reserved table, they spied Dean Harper standing outside, his son Damien by his side. Dean looked surprisingly nervous, his eyes darting around as if preparing for an ambush. Damien, on the other hand, seemed as excited as April, clutching a Bluey stuffed animal and wearing a pair of headphones.
Brooklyn took a deep breath, steeling herself for the encounter. April, ever the optimist, wore a bright smile as they approached.
"Good evening," Dean greeted, pulling out a chair for Damien. "It's, uh, nice to see you both."
The conversation felt just about as awkward and forced as April had feared, Dean and Brooklyn struggling to find a middle ground on anything while April doted on little Damien. She was about to ask him about his favorite Pokemon when she caught the tail end of Dean and Brooklyn’s conversation.
Dean’s lips were curled into a slight smirk at his estranged sibling. “You’ll certainly try. But trust me. The little sister of my little sister will be perfectly safe with me.”
Brooklyn didn’t respond immediately, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions. She wanted to believe him, to give him the benefit of the doubt, but the past was a heavy burden.
April, sensing the tension, stepped in once again. “Alright,” she began while smiling at Damien, “let’s not start the evening with threats. We’re here to figure things out, remember?”
Brooklyn took a deep breath, nodding slowly. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s just… try to have a decent dinner.”
Dean’s expression softened slightly, and he nodded in agreement. “Sounds good to me.”
They took their seats, the atmosphere still charged with an unresolved tension but tempered by the presence of Damien. As the evening progressed, they managed to find moments of levity and connection, bridging the gap between past grievances and the possibility of a more united future.
“Okay, Damien, I have an important question,” April said with a piece of sashimi hovering on its way to her mouth.
Damien looked up with a wide-eyed expression.
“Did you know that your dad and aunty once dressed up as Cat Noir and Ladybug for Halloween one year?”
Damien’s wide eyes were quickly met by an equally wide smile as he slowly turned to look at his father and Aunt in turn.
“April … I mean ….” Brooklyn stammered for a moment as Dean burst out laughing.
“Want to see pictures?” April asked Damien while digging for her phone from the recesses of her small handbag.
“No … nope … that’s enough of that for one night,” Dean said with a snort as both he and Brooklyn grabbed April’s clutch and held it out of arms reach.
The table was laughing, the ice finally broken. Brooklyn still had her reservations, but for the sake of April and the team, she was willing to give this uneasy alliance a chance. After all, in the world of professional wrestling, alliances were often born out of necessity rather than trust.
And maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to heal the old wounds and move forward together.
“Hey,” Brooklyn hollers from the other room, “knock it off - we lost the match ya dip.”
April blinks at the camera for a moment, a small pout on her face. “You know,” she continues, “all I wanted was, like, five minutes to pretend like that whole match didn’t just blow up in our faces.”
“Wars not over,” Brooklyn calls out to the sound of pans banging on a stove.
“Yeah,” April agrees, while attempting to look as tough as she can, “the war is certainly not over - but there’s a new battle to be fought and it looks like me and Dean-oh have got our work cut out for us straight outta the gate.”
“Hey,” Brooklyn calls out once more, “is this match intergender rules?”
April pauses for a moment to mull it over. “Um, yeah - not sure. I mean, on the one hand, it’s on Odyssey right?”
“Yup” she hears her sister say.
“But all the matches aren’t on Odyssey. I mean,” April shrugs, “I guess we won’t know until I give Nicky a Detroit Smash to the side of his smug little head and see what happens.”
Brooklyn pops her head in the doorway, “Stay away from Nick Knight, please”
April shakes her head, “Uh uh, no way - Dean and I have as good a chance at winning this match as any, but you can’t expect me to just focus all of my attention on Katie…”
“Kasey”
“Yeah, her too.”
“She’s undefeated you know,” Brooklyn adds before heading back to the kitchen area.
“Well, I’m pretty sure that doesn’t matter when she’s only been facing people on Coliseum, BrookLYN!” April says, raising her voice to yell the last syllable of her sister’s name. “But seriously, it’s cool if she’s all undefeated and stuff, but she’s basically a carbon copy of every other girl we’ve got here. She’s all speed and flippy stuff, just like Charlotte, just like Jennie, just like yooooooooou,”
“Just like you two, stupid”
“I WAS GETTING TO THAT!”
April smooths her hair, “and just like me. The fact that she runs circles around her opponents doesn’t help much when she’s in the ring with someone who can walk the walk, or I guess run the run?
But unlike ol’ Kaley-”
“Kasey” Brooklyn calls out.
“KASEY, unlike Kasey and Nick who have no experience with each other I’ve got …”
“My estranged brother?”
“Yes! I’ve got your estranged brother who just so happens to be a, until very recently, World champion! So Kenzie-”
“Kasey!”
“-and Nick can talk all they want, but the fact of the matter is that there’s only one way to those thrones - that’s through us. Caw-caw for now, Kaylee!”
“Kasey.”
“KASEY!”
-----------------------------------------
April paced around the hotel room, her excitement palpable. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, adjusting her dress and fluffing her hair. She turned to Brooklyn, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out the window at the bustling Osaka cityscape. Brooklyn's face was a mask of concern, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.
"Brook, you look great," April said, trying to lighten the mood. "This dinner is going to be fine. It's just a chance for us all to get on the same page."
Brooklyn tore her gaze from the window, giving April a half-hearted smile. "I know, April. It's just... Dean. I still have trouble trusting him after everything that's happened. It's not that easy to forget."
April walked over and sat beside her sister, bumping playfully into her before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I get it, I really do. But if we're going to work together, we need to at least try to move past the old grudges. I think tonight could be a good start in that direction!"
Brooklyn sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's not just about old grudges. It's about protecting you. I can't let history repeat itself, not when it comes to Dean."
"I appreciate that, Brook. But I've got this. And besides, Warren will be there. It's not like we'll be alone with Dean the entire time. It'll be fine."
Brooklyn looked into her sister's eyes, searching for any sign of doubt. She found none. April was confident and determined, qualities Brooklyn admired but also worried about. She couldn't shake the feeling that something might go wrong, that Dean might somehow find a way to hurt them again.
"Alright," Brooklyn said finally, standing up and smoothing her dress. "Let's go get this over with."
April beamed, giving her sister a quick hug. "That's the spirit! Let's go show Dean that the Madrox sisters aren't to be messed with."
They left their hotel room and made their way down to the lobby, where a car was waiting to take them to the restaurant. The drive was relatively short, but the tension in the car was still thick. April kept trying to make small talk, but Brooklyn's mind was elsewhere, replaying old memories and fears. It didn’t take long for April to stop and just enjoy the scene outside the car window.
A few moments later the pair arrived at the trendy downtown Osaka sushi restaurant, the sisters stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. April could sense Brooklyn's unease and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Just remember, we're here to start fresh. Let's give it a chance."
Brooklyn nodded, though her expression remained cautious. They entered the restaurant, greeted by the buzz of conversation and the clinking of glasses. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the tension and storm of emotions brewing inside Brooklyn.
As they approached their reserved table, they spied Dean Harper standing outside, his son Damien by his side. Dean looked surprisingly nervous, his eyes darting around as if preparing for an ambush. Damien, on the other hand, seemed as excited as April, clutching a Bluey stuffed animal and wearing a pair of headphones.
Brooklyn took a deep breath, steeling herself for the encounter. April, ever the optimist, wore a bright smile as they approached.
"Good evening," Dean greeted, pulling out a chair for Damien. "It's, uh, nice to see you both."
The conversation felt just about as awkward and forced as April had feared, Dean and Brooklyn struggling to find a middle ground on anything while April doted on little Damien. She was about to ask him about his favorite Pokemon when she caught the tail end of Dean and Brooklyn’s conversation.
Dean’s lips were curled into a slight smirk at his estranged sibling. “You’ll certainly try. But trust me. The little sister of my little sister will be perfectly safe with me.”
Brooklyn didn’t respond immediately, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions. She wanted to believe him, to give him the benefit of the doubt, but the past was a heavy burden.
April, sensing the tension, stepped in once again. “Alright,” she began while smiling at Damien, “let’s not start the evening with threats. We’re here to figure things out, remember?”
Brooklyn took a deep breath, nodding slowly. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s just… try to have a decent dinner.”
Dean’s expression softened slightly, and he nodded in agreement. “Sounds good to me.”
They took their seats, the atmosphere still charged with an unresolved tension but tempered by the presence of Damien. As the evening progressed, they managed to find moments of levity and connection, bridging the gap between past grievances and the possibility of a more united future.
“Okay, Damien, I have an important question,” April said with a piece of sashimi hovering on its way to her mouth.
Damien looked up with a wide-eyed expression.
“Did you know that your dad and aunty once dressed up as Cat Noir and Ladybug for Halloween one year?”
Damien’s wide eyes were quickly met by an equally wide smile as he slowly turned to look at his father and Aunt in turn.
“April … I mean ….” Brooklyn stammered for a moment as Dean burst out laughing.
“Want to see pictures?” April asked Damien while digging for her phone from the recesses of her small handbag.
“No … nope … that’s enough of that for one night,” Dean said with a snort as both he and Brooklyn grabbed April’s clutch and held it out of arms reach.
The table was laughing, the ice finally broken. Brooklyn still had her reservations, but for the sake of April and the team, she was willing to give this uneasy alliance a chance. After all, in the world of professional wrestling, alliances were often born out of necessity rather than trust.
And maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to heal the old wounds and move forward together.
Well howdy there pardner.