Post by Cyrus Daniels on Jul 25, 2024 5:20:45 GMT
“Who’s the bitch now, huh Daniels?”
That single line struck Vivienne hard as she watched her husband’s handiwork being patched up by Doctors Kingsley and Chen. The words struck Vivienne not because they were particularly harsh but more so because of who they came from, Pax Stormcrow. A man of honor, decency and integrity, who rarely felt the need to use such language, but more than that he was a man whom she considered a friend. Indeed, between this and the shit with Warren and some of her more recent life choices she seemed to be on the verge of losing more old friends faster than she was making new ones.
Cyrus entered the hotel room, back from his mandatory meeting with Roberto Verona. Vivienne immediately snapped to attention, putting the tablet aside, cutting Pax off mid impassioned speech to his fans on the importance of standing up to bullies and brutes in all walks of life. She quickly read the amusement which cracked through the granite of his face and knew that whatever Verona and Reed had reprimanded him with hadn’t been enough to scare him. Sometimes she wondered if anything truly did.
“Three hundred twenty-five thousand bloody dollars,” Cyrus chuckled as he unwrapped a fresh cigarette carton.”Can ya believe it, Kitten? Whoever said talk was cheap never dealt with American FCC regulation or the pussy corporate sponsors that got Bertie’s little bitch Hannah to lecture me about how expendable I was if I refused to pay up. Land of the free, my arse!”
“Little bitch, is that really what you think of women?” Vivienne asked softly. “Is that really what you think of me?”
Cyrus blinked twice as he tried to process what Vivienne was asking. “Oh not you too, Kitten. Don’t tell me you’ve gone soft already. Is it because of what that Shimizu Shiela said last week?” Cyrus put a fresh cigarette between his teeth.
“No,” Vivienne shook her head. “I don’t care about what Charlie says or thinks about me or us, but I do care about what you say and what you think. Do you even love me? I mean really love all of me and the boys?”
“What kinda stupid question is that?” Cyrus patted down his leather jacket until he found his trusty old lighter. “Ya know I do. I wouldn’t have bloody married ya if I didn’t.”
“I need to hear you say it. I need to know you mean it. Please. Because some of what you said to hurt Pax last week hurt me too. I’m not straight or fully white so if you hate those things about other people, why wouldn’t you hate them being a part of me and our kids too?”
“Bloody hell, Kitten,” Cyrus clicked his lighter until it sparked to life. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“No smoking,” Vivienne reminded Cyrus gently of the hotel room policy. “Besides you promised to cut down for me and the kids, remember?”
“Arrest me,” Cyrus smirked dismissively as he made the flame kiss his cigarette. “Besides, ya weren’t complaining a couple nights ago when I branded you.”
“Oh my God, you really don’t care, do you?” Tears welled up in Vivienne’s eyes, her voice began to crack. “I ask you for one little thing and you can’t even give me that unless you get something sexual out of it. I thought you were different. God, I’m so fucking stupid.”
Cyrus yanked the freshly lit cigarette from his mouth, “Fine, you win, Kitten.” He twisted it between his fingers to put it out. “Happy now? Struth!”
Despite his involuntary concession, Vivienne still burst into tears, and it was only the sight of how easily he’d broken her that reinforced how fragile she was. Instinctively, he sat down next to her, his tone shifted immediately softer and much less belligerent. “I’m sorry, Kitten. I didn’t mean to upset you. I didn’t think it was that big a deal. I was just talking shit, that’s what the business is all about ain’t it?”
“Not really,” Vivienne said. “It’s more about selling the match and why you believe you will win. You can do that without the cheap shots, can’t you? Honestly, some of what you said reminded me of promos my father and grandfather used to cut back in the day. No fruit ever hung too low for them. You’re a better man than that, I know you are. I just wish you believed it too.”
“I’m sorry. I had no idea that this was such a trigger for you, Kitten,” Cyrus lifted Vivienne’s chin and looked deep into her glistening eyes. “If I had known I’d never have provoked Pax like I did. I wanted him at his best so I could prove I was even better so I pushed the biggest red button I could find. I wasn’t thinking about how it might affect you or us. Just about getting Pax to hit me hard so I had an excuse to hit back harder. It was stupid, sorry. Still not used to having someone to come home to who actually gives a damn about me, ya know?”
“Neither am I, so I get it, but the way I see it we’re always going to get shit for being together, so why give people any more ammunition than they already do against us? I know you can beat any man on the roster without resorting to garbage hate speech. I’ve heard you cut much better promos without it. I’m willing to help you develop the skill if you want.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“For us, of course. I grew up in this business, third generation. I’ve been cutting promos since I was a kid, I sometimes forget you don’t have that kind of background or experience.”
“You’re right, I don’t,” Cyrus admitted. “But it ain’t just about cutting promos, it’s about unlearning rooted behaviours. What most people find offensive nowadays is just how I grew up, ya know? I ain’t makin’ excuses, just tellin’ the truth. I ain’t gonna change overnight.”
“I know, and I’m not asking you to. All I’m asking is that you think a little more carefully before you speak in future, please. For me?”
“I’ll try for you, Kitten,” Cyrus nodded as he wiped her tears with his thumbs. “I love you, I’m sorry I ever made you doubt that.”
“I love you too,” Vivienne said. “Thank you for actually listening to me and not being mad.”
“I could never be mad at you, Kitten,” Cyrus said. “I’m better because of you, so thank you for still believin’ in me and still loving me even though I ain’t perfect and never will be.”
“Neither will I,” Vivienne said softly. “But we don’t need to be perfect, we just need to be better.”
Vivienne kissed him, gentle but passionate, with all the love she still had for him, in spite of it all. He broke softly.
“I’m sorry I’ve put such a dent in our new house budget,” he said softly.
“Good thing I get to make it up at the next Pay Per View then,” Vivienne smiled.
“If he pays you half as well as he fines me, sure,” Cyrus teased.
That single line struck Vivienne hard as she watched her husband’s handiwork being patched up by Doctors Kingsley and Chen. The words struck Vivienne not because they were particularly harsh but more so because of who they came from, Pax Stormcrow. A man of honor, decency and integrity, who rarely felt the need to use such language, but more than that he was a man whom she considered a friend. Indeed, between this and the shit with Warren and some of her more recent life choices she seemed to be on the verge of losing more old friends faster than she was making new ones.
Cyrus entered the hotel room, back from his mandatory meeting with Roberto Verona. Vivienne immediately snapped to attention, putting the tablet aside, cutting Pax off mid impassioned speech to his fans on the importance of standing up to bullies and brutes in all walks of life. She quickly read the amusement which cracked through the granite of his face and knew that whatever Verona and Reed had reprimanded him with hadn’t been enough to scare him. Sometimes she wondered if anything truly did.
“Three hundred twenty-five thousand bloody dollars,” Cyrus chuckled as he unwrapped a fresh cigarette carton.”Can ya believe it, Kitten? Whoever said talk was cheap never dealt with American FCC regulation or the pussy corporate sponsors that got Bertie’s little bitch Hannah to lecture me about how expendable I was if I refused to pay up. Land of the free, my arse!”
“Little bitch, is that really what you think of women?” Vivienne asked softly. “Is that really what you think of me?”
Cyrus blinked twice as he tried to process what Vivienne was asking. “Oh not you too, Kitten. Don’t tell me you’ve gone soft already. Is it because of what that Shimizu Shiela said last week?” Cyrus put a fresh cigarette between his teeth.
“No,” Vivienne shook her head. “I don’t care about what Charlie says or thinks about me or us, but I do care about what you say and what you think. Do you even love me? I mean really love all of me and the boys?”
“What kinda stupid question is that?” Cyrus patted down his leather jacket until he found his trusty old lighter. “Ya know I do. I wouldn’t have bloody married ya if I didn’t.”
“I need to hear you say it. I need to know you mean it. Please. Because some of what you said to hurt Pax last week hurt me too. I’m not straight or fully white so if you hate those things about other people, why wouldn’t you hate them being a part of me and our kids too?”
“Bloody hell, Kitten,” Cyrus clicked his lighter until it sparked to life. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“No smoking,” Vivienne reminded Cyrus gently of the hotel room policy. “Besides you promised to cut down for me and the kids, remember?”
“Arrest me,” Cyrus smirked dismissively as he made the flame kiss his cigarette. “Besides, ya weren’t complaining a couple nights ago when I branded you.”
“Oh my God, you really don’t care, do you?” Tears welled up in Vivienne’s eyes, her voice began to crack. “I ask you for one little thing and you can’t even give me that unless you get something sexual out of it. I thought you were different. God, I’m so fucking stupid.”
Cyrus yanked the freshly lit cigarette from his mouth, “Fine, you win, Kitten.” He twisted it between his fingers to put it out. “Happy now? Struth!”
Despite his involuntary concession, Vivienne still burst into tears, and it was only the sight of how easily he’d broken her that reinforced how fragile she was. Instinctively, he sat down next to her, his tone shifted immediately softer and much less belligerent. “I’m sorry, Kitten. I didn’t mean to upset you. I didn’t think it was that big a deal. I was just talking shit, that’s what the business is all about ain’t it?”
“Not really,” Vivienne said. “It’s more about selling the match and why you believe you will win. You can do that without the cheap shots, can’t you? Honestly, some of what you said reminded me of promos my father and grandfather used to cut back in the day. No fruit ever hung too low for them. You’re a better man than that, I know you are. I just wish you believed it too.”
“I’m sorry. I had no idea that this was such a trigger for you, Kitten,” Cyrus lifted Vivienne’s chin and looked deep into her glistening eyes. “If I had known I’d never have provoked Pax like I did. I wanted him at his best so I could prove I was even better so I pushed the biggest red button I could find. I wasn’t thinking about how it might affect you or us. Just about getting Pax to hit me hard so I had an excuse to hit back harder. It was stupid, sorry. Still not used to having someone to come home to who actually gives a damn about me, ya know?”
“Neither am I, so I get it, but the way I see it we’re always going to get shit for being together, so why give people any more ammunition than they already do against us? I know you can beat any man on the roster without resorting to garbage hate speech. I’ve heard you cut much better promos without it. I’m willing to help you develop the skill if you want.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“For us, of course. I grew up in this business, third generation. I’ve been cutting promos since I was a kid, I sometimes forget you don’t have that kind of background or experience.”
“You’re right, I don’t,” Cyrus admitted. “But it ain’t just about cutting promos, it’s about unlearning rooted behaviours. What most people find offensive nowadays is just how I grew up, ya know? I ain’t makin’ excuses, just tellin’ the truth. I ain’t gonna change overnight.”
“I know, and I’m not asking you to. All I’m asking is that you think a little more carefully before you speak in future, please. For me?”
“I’ll try for you, Kitten,” Cyrus nodded as he wiped her tears with his thumbs. “I love you, I’m sorry I ever made you doubt that.”
“I love you too,” Vivienne said. “Thank you for actually listening to me and not being mad.”
“I could never be mad at you, Kitten,” Cyrus said. “I’m better because of you, so thank you for still believin’ in me and still loving me even though I ain’t perfect and never will be.”
“Neither will I,” Vivienne said softly. “But we don’t need to be perfect, we just need to be better.”
Vivienne kissed him, gentle but passionate, with all the love she still had for him, in spite of it all. He broke softly.
“I’m sorry I’ve put such a dent in our new house budget,” he said softly.
“Good thing I get to make it up at the next Pay Per View then,” Vivienne smiled.
“If he pays you half as well as he fines me, sure,” Cyrus teased.
Well howdy there pardner.