Post by Kathleen Conway on Oct 28, 2016 21:24:13 GMT
Inside a rather quaint little cafe, at least by Las Vegas standards, Emma Danielson sat at a table across from Kathleen Conway.
"Thanks for coming," said Emma.
"Nice to get away from the office once in a while," said Kathy. "So, what did you want to talk about? Finally had enough of knocking the lumps out of the kids down in developmental?"
Emma opens her mouth to respond but is interrupted as their coffees are brought over. Both women take their respective orders, grateful for the warmth of the beverage as they clasped their bare hands around the paper cups.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about your match this weekend," said Emma.
"I'm glad you brought it up," said Kathy.
"You are?" said Emma, taking a sip from her coffee cup.
"Yes. I've been meaning to ask you if you wouldn't mind helping me train, at least for a few sessions, knock some of the old ring rust off. you know?" said Kathy, sipping her coffee and offering Emma a smile.
"No."
"No?" asked Kathy.
"I mean, sure I can train you if that's what you really want, but that's not exactly what I wanted to talk to you about," clarified Emma.
"Oh? What then?"
"Well, I mean, is all this really necessary?"
"All what?"
"Stepping back into the ring. Against Eternity, no less."
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean Emma. I've held myself back for fear of jealousy and baseless accusation for long enough, I have as much right to compete in that ring as any of the Diamonds under my employ. I have as much right to shoot for the same goals, to have the same drive and desire to be seen and respected as a wrestler, don't I?"
"Of course you do Kathy, but there's more to all this than a simple re-stoking of the fire, isn't there?" asked Emma, "I mean, this isn't the kind of decision you make on a whim, especially not after what just happened to Shea..."
A genuine look of remorse clouds Kathy's expression, one she tries her best to obscure behind her coffee cup as she brings it to her lips.
"So why are you doing this? Why now?" asked Emma.
"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe I'm doing this because I know nobody else can, nobody else will. Maybe I'm doing this because if I don't stand up for my division, who will?" asked Kathy. "Or maybe I'm doing this because I know that I only have myself to blame for what happened to Shea last week..."
"She knew the risks when she signed up for this job, just like we all do. She's a trained professional wrestler. An athlete, and athletes sometimes get hurt, especially in this business."
"She's young. Naive. Hotheaded. Eager to please...and more than that, she's my responsibility. I signed her to a full IWF contract, I signed her up to chase her dreams and I signed off on her desire for revenge. All Shea wanted to do was to help her friend. I could have - I should have said no. I knew what Eternity was capable of..."
"With all due respect, nobody ever really knows what Eternity is capable of. You cannot hold yourself responsible for anything she does."
"Maybe not, but still some of the blame has to fall on my shoulders. When I took this job, I accepted a certain level of responsibility for the welfare all those working under me..." said Kathy, sipping more of her coffee.
"Since when did any of that include trying to be a martyr?" asked Emma, before returning her coffee to her lips.
"Is that what I'm doing?" whispered Kathy, not entirely certain herself.
"What else would you call it?"
"It's not like you to not be up for a fight Em, especially against Eternity. Especially after what she did to you," said Kathy, her gaze naturally drifting to Emma's right arm. An arm Emma would never be able to fully straighten again, and even now as Emma sat with her shirt sleeve rolled up to her elbow, the way her bone had set still told the story of a break under her scarred flesh.
"Yeah well, I try not to think about it too much these days," said Emma, making a point to roll down both of her sleeves.
Kathy knew Emma well enough to know when she was lying, but in the best interest of their friendship, let it slide.
"I'm sorry," said Kathy, "I should have known you'd be more than a little apprehensive, considering. I mean, it's not exactly the kind of thing you forget, is it?"
Emma finished off her cup of coffee. Emma's cellphone alerts her to a text message. Emma quickly glances at the name of the sender but opts not to reply in present company, the look on Emma's face betrays her to Kathy.
"Jake didn't put you up to this, did he?" asked Kathy.
Emma says nothing.
"He did, didn't he? That's why you're here, isn't it?" asked Kathy, "To try and talk me out of this."
"Can you blame him? He cares about you. We both do, and frankly we've seen you get hurt one too many times. I mean Christ, it wasn't all that long ago that Rob Diamond dropped you on your head out there. Do you really want to tempt fate again, especially with someone as uncaring and unstable as Eternity?"
"I'm not as fragile as you or Jake think, so stop treating me like I'm made of glass," stated Kathy, getting up from the table suddenly. Kathy leaves enough on the table to pay for both, before kicking eyes with Emma. "Thanks for the coffee."
Kathy then walks out of the cafe, and puts her hands in her coat pockets before stepping out into the late October chill.
Fall had definitely begun.
In the cafe, Emma sends a single word text from her phone: Shit!
There are those in IWF, including a few who are very near and dear to me, who look at this whole thing and think that I must have some kind of death wish. For the more naive of you out there however, this match is representative of nothing more than yet another example of abused corporate privilege.
Just another example of some old barely remembered name jumping the queue and looking to instantly assert herself into a position of prominence by giving herself the opportunity to earn her way into one of the biggest annual attractions we have here in the Imperial Wrestling Federation - the Extinction Event.
Well, I'm here to tell you in no uncertain terms that none of this is about any of that.
This isn't about hogging the spotlight or committing career suicide.
This isn't about that one perfect moment of death or glory that signifies so many of Eternity's matches.
No.
Over the last three years I've seen so many bright young Diamonds lose themselves in that chase, Eternity.
I will not run to or from you anymore.
Spike Kane likes to give himself a lot of undue credit for shortening my wrestling career, but the fact is I wrestled through that injury for five long years. I was on something of a mission to prove that I would not and could not be stopped. All through NCW and into the first few months of IWF, i stood firm, resolute and determined.
The living, breathing embodiment of a testament against the rarely tested will of The Blood God.
That all changed the moment you arrived from whatever utterly unholy abyss you sprang from, Eternity.
You purported to be death, and true to your word, you were.
You were the death of my professional desire and once unbridled ambition.
You broke me in ways I never even imagined that I could be broken in this business.
You broke the one thing Spike Kane never could - my spirit.
Through your relentless torment of my baby sister Tiffany, you forced me into the darkness and you condemned me to shadow.
Your shadow - and here I've stood ever since, shackled by all of my my guilt and all of my regret. It's been three years, and the truth is that in all that time I've never felt as free as I once was, and maybe I never will be that free ever again, but recently I've come to realise that whilst you may have once forced me into the shadows Eternity, the only one whose been keeping me there all these years is me.
You see Eternity, the truly wondrous thing about committing something to darkness is that sooner or later, it will find its way back into the light, especially if its will is strong enough - then it truly is only a matter of time. But hey, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, am I?
What goes around comes around they say, and this Sunday at October Revolution, a full three years after my last singles match on Pay Per View, I re-emerge. I take my final step back in time and my first step back into the light, not for the glory, but rather for the good.
The good of this company and of this business.
Somebody has to step up and draw a line in the sand,
Somebody has to say "This far and no further", even to somebody as intimidating as you, Eternity.
Last week you used a very good friend of mine to make a statement, this week, it's my turn, and my statement is simple.
I stand against The House Of Howlett.
I already had enough of a reason to stand against them personally, and now it seems Laura wants to take it one step further and try to take everything I have built within the Diamonds Division too. Well, I'm sorry Miss Howlett, but I cannot simply stand by whilst you try and turn one of my star attractions in this company into your personalised loose cannon.
See, in spite of whatever I may personally think of Eternity, I'd be a fool to deny her professional value to me.
She's an asset to this company, and a rather valuable one at that, and I simply will not allow you to weaponize any of her professional credibility for your own personal power fantasy. Nor will I let Eternity sacrifice any more of my Diamonds upon your altar, Laura.
That is why this is my fight.
That is why this is my sacrifice.
That is why this is my responsibility.
And that is why this is my Division.
I am the Queen of Diamonds and the leader of the finest female division of professional wrestlers in the world, and as such, I intend to lead each and every one of my premier athletes by example, and this Sunday at October Revolution, I will show the world what it means to not go quietly into the night.
If you want to harvest from my crop of talent Laura, you're going to have to do it over my dead body.
"Thanks for coming," said Emma.
"Nice to get away from the office once in a while," said Kathy. "So, what did you want to talk about? Finally had enough of knocking the lumps out of the kids down in developmental?"
Emma opens her mouth to respond but is interrupted as their coffees are brought over. Both women take their respective orders, grateful for the warmth of the beverage as they clasped their bare hands around the paper cups.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about your match this weekend," said Emma.
"I'm glad you brought it up," said Kathy.
"You are?" said Emma, taking a sip from her coffee cup.
"Yes. I've been meaning to ask you if you wouldn't mind helping me train, at least for a few sessions, knock some of the old ring rust off. you know?" said Kathy, sipping her coffee and offering Emma a smile.
"No."
"No?" asked Kathy.
"I mean, sure I can train you if that's what you really want, but that's not exactly what I wanted to talk to you about," clarified Emma.
"Oh? What then?"
"Well, I mean, is all this really necessary?"
"All what?"
"Stepping back into the ring. Against Eternity, no less."
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean Emma. I've held myself back for fear of jealousy and baseless accusation for long enough, I have as much right to compete in that ring as any of the Diamonds under my employ. I have as much right to shoot for the same goals, to have the same drive and desire to be seen and respected as a wrestler, don't I?"
"Of course you do Kathy, but there's more to all this than a simple re-stoking of the fire, isn't there?" asked Emma, "I mean, this isn't the kind of decision you make on a whim, especially not after what just happened to Shea..."
A genuine look of remorse clouds Kathy's expression, one she tries her best to obscure behind her coffee cup as she brings it to her lips.
"So why are you doing this? Why now?" asked Emma.
"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe I'm doing this because I know nobody else can, nobody else will. Maybe I'm doing this because if I don't stand up for my division, who will?" asked Kathy. "Or maybe I'm doing this because I know that I only have myself to blame for what happened to Shea last week..."
"She knew the risks when she signed up for this job, just like we all do. She's a trained professional wrestler. An athlete, and athletes sometimes get hurt, especially in this business."
"She's young. Naive. Hotheaded. Eager to please...and more than that, she's my responsibility. I signed her to a full IWF contract, I signed her up to chase her dreams and I signed off on her desire for revenge. All Shea wanted to do was to help her friend. I could have - I should have said no. I knew what Eternity was capable of..."
"With all due respect, nobody ever really knows what Eternity is capable of. You cannot hold yourself responsible for anything she does."
"Maybe not, but still some of the blame has to fall on my shoulders. When I took this job, I accepted a certain level of responsibility for the welfare all those working under me..." said Kathy, sipping more of her coffee.
"Since when did any of that include trying to be a martyr?" asked Emma, before returning her coffee to her lips.
"Is that what I'm doing?" whispered Kathy, not entirely certain herself.
"What else would you call it?"
"It's not like you to not be up for a fight Em, especially against Eternity. Especially after what she did to you," said Kathy, her gaze naturally drifting to Emma's right arm. An arm Emma would never be able to fully straighten again, and even now as Emma sat with her shirt sleeve rolled up to her elbow, the way her bone had set still told the story of a break under her scarred flesh.
"Yeah well, I try not to think about it too much these days," said Emma, making a point to roll down both of her sleeves.
Kathy knew Emma well enough to know when she was lying, but in the best interest of their friendship, let it slide.
"I'm sorry," said Kathy, "I should have known you'd be more than a little apprehensive, considering. I mean, it's not exactly the kind of thing you forget, is it?"
Emma finished off her cup of coffee. Emma's cellphone alerts her to a text message. Emma quickly glances at the name of the sender but opts not to reply in present company, the look on Emma's face betrays her to Kathy.
"Jake didn't put you up to this, did he?" asked Kathy.
Emma says nothing.
"He did, didn't he? That's why you're here, isn't it?" asked Kathy, "To try and talk me out of this."
"Can you blame him? He cares about you. We both do, and frankly we've seen you get hurt one too many times. I mean Christ, it wasn't all that long ago that Rob Diamond dropped you on your head out there. Do you really want to tempt fate again, especially with someone as uncaring and unstable as Eternity?"
"I'm not as fragile as you or Jake think, so stop treating me like I'm made of glass," stated Kathy, getting up from the table suddenly. Kathy leaves enough on the table to pay for both, before kicking eyes with Emma. "Thanks for the coffee."
Kathy then walks out of the cafe, and puts her hands in her coat pockets before stepping out into the late October chill.
Fall had definitely begun.
In the cafe, Emma sends a single word text from her phone: Shit!
There are those in IWF, including a few who are very near and dear to me, who look at this whole thing and think that I must have some kind of death wish. For the more naive of you out there however, this match is representative of nothing more than yet another example of abused corporate privilege.
Just another example of some old barely remembered name jumping the queue and looking to instantly assert herself into a position of prominence by giving herself the opportunity to earn her way into one of the biggest annual attractions we have here in the Imperial Wrestling Federation - the Extinction Event.
Well, I'm here to tell you in no uncertain terms that none of this is about any of that.
This isn't about hogging the spotlight or committing career suicide.
This isn't about that one perfect moment of death or glory that signifies so many of Eternity's matches.
No.
Over the last three years I've seen so many bright young Diamonds lose themselves in that chase, Eternity.
I will not run to or from you anymore.
Spike Kane likes to give himself a lot of undue credit for shortening my wrestling career, but the fact is I wrestled through that injury for five long years. I was on something of a mission to prove that I would not and could not be stopped. All through NCW and into the first few months of IWF, i stood firm, resolute and determined.
The living, breathing embodiment of a testament against the rarely tested will of The Blood God.
That all changed the moment you arrived from whatever utterly unholy abyss you sprang from, Eternity.
You purported to be death, and true to your word, you were.
You were the death of my professional desire and once unbridled ambition.
You broke me in ways I never even imagined that I could be broken in this business.
You broke the one thing Spike Kane never could - my spirit.
Through your relentless torment of my baby sister Tiffany, you forced me into the darkness and you condemned me to shadow.
Your shadow - and here I've stood ever since, shackled by all of my my guilt and all of my regret. It's been three years, and the truth is that in all that time I've never felt as free as I once was, and maybe I never will be that free ever again, but recently I've come to realise that whilst you may have once forced me into the shadows Eternity, the only one whose been keeping me there all these years is me.
You see Eternity, the truly wondrous thing about committing something to darkness is that sooner or later, it will find its way back into the light, especially if its will is strong enough - then it truly is only a matter of time. But hey, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, am I?
What goes around comes around they say, and this Sunday at October Revolution, a full three years after my last singles match on Pay Per View, I re-emerge. I take my final step back in time and my first step back into the light, not for the glory, but rather for the good.
The good of this company and of this business.
Somebody has to step up and draw a line in the sand,
Somebody has to say "This far and no further", even to somebody as intimidating as you, Eternity.
Last week you used a very good friend of mine to make a statement, this week, it's my turn, and my statement is simple.
I stand against The House Of Howlett.
I already had enough of a reason to stand against them personally, and now it seems Laura wants to take it one step further and try to take everything I have built within the Diamonds Division too. Well, I'm sorry Miss Howlett, but I cannot simply stand by whilst you try and turn one of my star attractions in this company into your personalised loose cannon.
See, in spite of whatever I may personally think of Eternity, I'd be a fool to deny her professional value to me.
She's an asset to this company, and a rather valuable one at that, and I simply will not allow you to weaponize any of her professional credibility for your own personal power fantasy. Nor will I let Eternity sacrifice any more of my Diamonds upon your altar, Laura.
That is why this is my fight.
That is why this is my sacrifice.
That is why this is my responsibility.
And that is why this is my Division.
I am the Queen of Diamonds and the leader of the finest female division of professional wrestlers in the world, and as such, I intend to lead each and every one of my premier athletes by example, and this Sunday at October Revolution, I will show the world what it means to not go quietly into the night.
If you want to harvest from my crop of talent Laura, you're going to have to do it over my dead body.
Well howdy there pardner.