Post by Boardwalk Angels on May 25, 2017 22:08:34 GMT -5
”’Too many chiefs, not enough indians’ is a quote that gets thrown around a lot. When it comes to my family, it’s really fucking appropriate. Recent revelations had added three new members to the brood and adjusting to this has been a test of my willpower. I trust James at his word and no matter how wild the story that comes attached to them, I believe that they are who he says they are. On the eve of mine and Zee’s first title defense at Validation, it’s just another wrinkle in the chaotic tapestry that is the Cornett family. I think most of the consternation where this change is concerned comes from the fact that now I’m a mother in more than just name now. You don’t really mother ‘kids’ who are almost your age if not older. But these three… they actually need a mother. There’s room for one in their lives beyond a person taking the spot in name only. It’s a high amount of pressure. More than dealing with any pair of lippy bitches spoiling for an ass-whipping could provide.”
* May 16th, 2017, early-evening *
* Downtown *
* Austin, TX *
The Peace of the Dark Side
In the six-plus months that Farrah had been dating James Cornett she had learned how read both him and the rest of the family. They didn’t call her Mama Red for nothing, though at first it was a cute nickname born out of one she gave to DJ (Little Red). Nicknames have a tendency of spiraling out of control like that. Whether one was talking about James, DJ, Jami, Sage, Twain or one of the extended members of the clan, the Jersey Hellcat had them, for the most part, on lock. They way they spoke, the physical tells birthed of varying situations, miniscule alterations to facial expressions… they were like triggers for Farrah. So when James became tense, pacing and glancing about rapidly, not speaking to anyone, she understood. Meeting Jami’s eyes, Farrah nodded and the crimson-haired beauty nodded back. Moments later she had taken her man by the arm with one hand and gathered her keys in the other.
”Let’s go for a ride.”
”...where?”
”Anywhere. It’s you and me taking time. No need for questions.”
Resistance entered his eyes but nonetheless James followed Farrah’s urging. Moments later they were on the road and cruising through downtown Austin. The radio never had a chance; Farrah reached out to crank the volume all the way down, her hand going back to the wheel as she gives James a sideways glance.
”You haven’t told them yet.”
”...no.”
”Because you feel guilty or because you think they won’t understand?”
”Both.”
”You’re underestimating them. Especially Jamilyn and Destiny. After all that this family has been through, I think they can handle learning about these beauties. When have they ever NOT understood, even if it took time?”
”What about you?”
Now it was Farrah’s turn to pause and consider. The subject of motherhood had come up several times before and her response had been that they would face that eventuality when it became a reality. Now? Now it was a reality in the most roundabout and out-of-left-field way possible. Flashing back for a moment, the Boardwalk Angel recalled the first moment she’d looked upon Sonia... seeing that saucy smile, those darkly-intense eyes and how the young girl had acquired the best of both parents…
It took James’s jostling her arm to make her realize the traffic light had turned green. Pulling through the intersection with a little more weight on the pedal than was intended, Farrah shook herself back to the present in short order.
”Glad I’m not the only one. Do you understand a little better now, Spice? There’s the strange happenstance that is part and parcel for our family, and then there’s the universal double back-burners that fuck our brains all to unholy hell. This plainly clarifies as the latter. Considering what’s coming not only for you but for those close to us, on top of Twain’s situation? I can’t in good conscience dump this at everyone’s feet like some weird-ass early-Christmas present. It won’t be right or fair for anyone concerned, especially Brenden, Brenna and Sonia.”
Farrah smiles, albeit faintly, and a tear threatens to slide down her right cheek before she reaches up to quickly wipe it away. Or she would have if James’s hand hadn’t gently stopped her, taking it for himself. Pink tinges the Hellcat’s cheeks now in place of the tear.
”It’s like seeing myself as a little girl again without all the pain, Sugar.”
”There was never any question, was there? The moment I laid eyes on her I had to do a double-take. Thought I’d stepped back in time or some shit. It’s freaky, yet amazingly beautiful at the same time.”
”You think for one moment any of the kids, much less me, could turn them away, seeing what we’ve seen? There may come a day when we create life ourselves, directly, as only we can… but right now, they deserve our love and focus. We tell them, baby. Tonight. After dinner.”
”You’re sure?”
Clasping the hand that took away her tear, Farrah clings to it tightly. Her eyes are still on the road and one hand remains on the wheel, but nothing else existed except her and the man beside her.
”I’m sure. I can see their smiles now. Zoey’s too.”
”She… how do I put this…”
Their hands remained clasped but lowered, resting upon the console between the seats. James’s expression betrayed a considerable amount of concern. For most anyone else he might have maintained a dismissive yet polite air. But Zoey had long since been adopted by the Cornetts. Hell, she was the godmother of Jami’s twins. You don’t just give someone that kind of status without them being special, not without them being in your heart.
”She’s way too close to the edge. A stiff wind would send her spiraling down.”
”Part of the reason she’s here with us right now. Someone has stepped in to make sure that measures are being taken to get her right again. Until that happens, however, she needs to be around people who love and respect her. Strained as she is, even you can see that being with us has kept a smile on her face and given her something good to focus on.”
”Don’t let her tumble into the darkness, Spice. We’re used to it. When the abyss screamed out to us and swallowed us deep, we cut our way out and made that liquid force of undying wrath our own. She isn’t made for that. She’s a creature of light. There are too few of those in the world and even as beings of darkness we must foster their strength and growth.”
”It’s under control, Sugar. Trust me. Now… let’s stop and pick up some champagne before we return. Zoey should have dinner ready by the time we’re back and afterward we can give them the news and pop the corks.”
Seeming a bit more open to the idea, James nods with a small smile of his own.
”Better pick up a bottle of sparkling cider for Zoey. Even though she might break her habit and partake of the champagne… in her state it would be best not to give the option.”
”Good call.”
The two make use of another red light to share a kiss that fogs the windows before pulling away and back into town.
”Certain parties who don’t require naming, lately at least, have been going on and on about how our days as champions are numbered, about how our lack of interaction with them all over the internet shows not only fear but acceptance of this ‘fact’. To that I say fuck right off. Zoey put it better than I ever could when she addressed our Validation opponents, stating that the moment this battle was over with us walking out still LAW Tag Team Champions, Guilty Pleasure would be relegated to obscurity, fighting for some form of relevance since they could no longer count on us to make them mean something. There’s a good damn reason that Zee is maintaining silence right now and if they’d paid half an ear to her message this past Saturday, they’d get that. But it’s all right. The angels are coming to break bitches at Validation and if our opponents want to go in blind and bold, more power to ‘em. Won’t hurt our feelings.”
* May 25th, 2017, nightfall *
* Cornett Enterprises, top floor *
* Fort Wayne, IN *
Unconventionality, Turbo-Style
The delivering of the news about the three children went better than expected. There was a great deal of joy, not only from the Cornetts themselves but also from Zoey. It was enough to bring her out of her darkness for a little bit, even. However, while beautiful in most every way, the growth of the family led Farrah to consider other matters. Though James had acquiesced to her idea of revealing the children to the rest, there was still a tension in him. Not a fear, per se, but a certain reservation that, while not uncharacteristic all considered, was disconcerting. Seven months since the day that changed both their lives forever, Farrah decided to take matters into her own hands.
Every little girl, whether they admit it or not, dreams of the day when someone comes along and changes their mind about love. When that person presents a token of undeniable devotion and dedication not only to them but to an unwritten future, it sends their heart into overdrive and those secret dreams come true. For some, they turn into nightmares. For some, they last until the very end. And you never know until you take that plunge. In 99.98% of cases, the man is left to choose the time, place and means. That’s conventional thinking. Farrah has never been one for convention. Why else would she chose to celebrate her man’s birthday not at some fancy restaurant or through a quiet night at home, but at his place of business? Leave it to the Jersey Hellcat to make it sound like the best idea in the world, though. Dinner was recently finished. Both James and Farrah stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows in the former’s office, looking out over the lit-up city. Both had a glass of Dom in hand, tapping them gently and taking long sips.
”Never just look anymore. Everyone raves about places like New York City or Chicago or L.A. for having the best skyline around but… this is my town and there’s no sight more beautiful in the world. Well…”
He turns, black-on-black suit and slicked-back hair, to look upon Farrah. She meets his eyes, dressed fully in crimson from top to heels, her dark hair hanging loose and straight about her mostly-bare shoulders.
”...almost.”
”You are not wrapping me in colored lights and standing me in front of a black wall draping, Sugar, to be stared at.”
Sipping her champagne, then reaching for the bottle to refill their glasses.
”That’s for Christmas only.”
”Uh-huh. And going to all this effort and expense… shouldn’t you be getting ready for Guilty Pleasure?”
”We ARE ready. That stick-girl Kate and her bottom-bitch Kenzi are already fucked. They just don’t know it yet. Zoey’s time with Dr. Shields has her more focused than ever. She’s far from recovered, but those difficult first steps have been taken. She’s got some rough patches ahead of her, but she doesn’t want for determination. Word is she had Jami training with her today, too. Way I hear it? Jami was tearing ass. I wish I’d been there to see it.”
”No shit? And with that crazy bitch that Zoey brawls with and calls it training? Mimi’s doing all right, then. Had I known that woman would be involved I’d have told her no flat-out.”
”Cadence felt the same until Zoey assured her that she’d be keeping an eye on things. Turns out there was no need. Rest assured though…”
Drawing up on her toes, Farrah manages to press her lips to James’s chin. Bastard was just too damn tall.
”...I’ve been training my ass off, too. We’re ready.”
”If you say it, I believe it. Now… I was assured that there would be presents?”
From the way James stared at Farrah, it looked as though the woman was already being unwrapped in his mind. She passes him a saucy smile and turns on her heel, walking over to the desk and taking up a box that was about a foot square. One of similar size remained on the desk, wrapped differently. As the Rated-F Angel presented the gift to James, she sucked in a deep breath and held it for a couple counts before letting go. She didn’t expect it to be this hard. But there was no stopping now. James had his eyes on her and the gears were a-turning’.
”James...“
”...uh-oh. My actual name? What did I do?”
He jokes and, honestly, the levity helps Farrah relax a touch.
”Stole my heart and soul, you bastard. Now hush for a minute!”
Both laugh before Farrah composes herself.
”Gonna get to the point here, Sugar. Our romance has been a whirlwind from the first time we laid eyes on one another. There’s been more ups and downs for us than a fucking mall escalator and yet here we stand, seven months later, more in love than ever. Our family has grown and we’ve looked every challenge in the face before beating it into submission, continuing to press on. But I know that deep down you’re still worried. You’re holding back. And I understand that. I do. You still hang tough with me and words will never properly express how much that means to me.”
”It isn’t on purpose, Spice. You know that.”
”I know. Too many times burned. It has made you gun-shy. As in love as we are, you wonder whether or not this is going to turn out like every other time. If I were in your shoes, I’d feel the same. But I can’t have that. Not anymore. Not where it comes to us. That’s why…”
She sucks in another breath, their silhouettes against the window and the skyline, half-visible in the dim, ambient light.
”...that’s why I’m taking matters into my own hands. You need that assurance. You need to know that I’m the exception, that what we have is forever… and like our love, words won’t do it justice. That’s why here, at the center of your power, on top of your world, on the anniversary of the first day you graced this world… I’m asking you to marry me.”
”...you’re what now?”
The reaction was just that: a reaction. No thought, no consideration… Farrah had managed to catch her Dark God by surprise. She did not reply; she put the gift in his hands and let him soak in the meaning of her words and actions in his own time. After a few moments, James’s head lowers and shakes a bit.
”You’ll never fucking cease to surprise me, baby.”
”You knew the risks when you got involved. This gift is a symbol of my devotion to you in this regard. There’s one for me, too. When the time comes that you feel ready, you can ask me yourself and know that I’ll say yes. You’re my forever. And nothing will make me let go of what we have. Now you know that beyond a shadow of a doubt. No more fear. No more wondering.”
”And if I never find the courage to take that step?”
Farrah shrugs her slender shoulders and smiles.
”You’re still fucking stuck with me, baby.”
”I love the sound of that. The time will come, Spice. I promise you that. Tonight, though...”
The lights go down until both are mere shadows. Powerful hands manipulate Farrah’s attire until it’s pooled at her feet, the woman taking a step out of it. Nothing, of course, is visible in this darkness except vague silhouettes… lest censors have a fit. But imaginations are funny things.
”...we celebrate life and love. In a few days, we’ll celebrate victory. Then it will be time to take that step.”
”Then take hold, my Dark God, and show me your power.”
The scene cuts to full darkness, a short step indeed.
* May 26th, 2017, early-evening *
* AT&T Arena *
* San Antonio, TX *
At the End of the Light
The fan access event ended about an hour ago, but the Boardwalk Angels are still flush with the joy that comes with meeting those who cheer them on. Courtney could not stay long unfortunately, but she made an appearance for a while and the fans swarmed her. It was the same for Crystal, with the people adopting her as the newest Angel quicker than anyone could have hoped. Zoey and Farrah were there for the length of the event, though. They signed autographs until they thought their hands would fall off and smiled until it seemed as though their faces would crack. But they did it happily and would do it again. One look at them told that tale.
Zoey, at the moment, was leaning against the wall and nursing a bottle of vitamin water. Unlike she’d been observed during her own broadcast a week ago, the Wild Mage had her smile in a near-constant state. Farrah, a little ways off, was going about setting up the digital camera on a tripod, using Zoey as a focusing point. The LAW Tag Team Championships rested over both of Zoey’s shoulders, gleaming beautifully in the high-powered lights of the arena interior. Once Farrah had the device to her liking, she joined Zoey and was given her half of the prize. Her own smile was predatory, telling the tale between the two. Both stared sharply at the camera while Farrah, using the remote, set it to recording before sliding it into her pocket. Giving it a few moments, she begins her address.
”You two… you just don’t get it, do you? We’ve spelled it out plain as day, both in front of a camera, all over Twitter and physically in the ring. How many times are you going to make us repeat ourselves? How many more times do we have to embarrass you before this sinks in? The Boardwalk Angels are the gold standard of tag team wrestling in LAW right now and we’re going to stay champions for as long as we desire. Every inch of the smack you talk has been swept away and now all you can do is stare at that truth. And no matter how much you downplay it or ignore it, it’s right there for the world to see.
That, in fact, is the main reason that the two of you are in the trouble you’re in at this point. It’s not about past transgressions anymore or about winning the verbal war. It’s not about the lies, fake injuries, front office intrigues or blowing pedestrian actions and accomplishments out of proportion. It’s about one thing:”
Knowing glancing to the title over her shoulder, Farrah kisses the gold medallion, her cheek touching it briefly as she looks at the camera with a grin. Zoey pats her own title, a fiery intensity in her stare, visually daring Guilty Pleasure to try and take it.
”You want what we have and you don’t care what means you have to apply to get it. You two, Kenzi and Kate, ignore every issue surrounding yourselves, your band and your team when it comes to these titles. You’ll lash out at anyone and anything that you think is hindering you, giving not a damn for the feelings of those you hurt, even if those people are or were once close to you, in order to lay your grubby claws on our gold. And I’ll be the first to admit that we can get a little nasty ourselves when it comes to our retorts. But you just have that effect, don’t you? Zoey admitted herself that your methods had an effect and threatened to make her a monster.”
How a person can do naught but lick their lips and alter the motion of their brows and suddenly give off a completely different vibe is something that only those in the fine arts could explain. Zoey accomplishes this as Farrah glances her way, then back to the camera.
”The sad part is that I don’t think either of you have reached the full depths of the depravity you’re capable of. The world has not yet seen how far Guilty Pleasure will sink to get what they want. People don’t have to take the moral high ground against you because, just by having a heart and a soul? They already stand over you in that regard. Zoey and I? We’re not high and mighty. We’ve made our share of mistakes, some public and some private. But compared to the two of you? Calling ourselves angels is just pointing out the obvious.”
”You hate us because we’re what you can never become on the road you’re walking. You walk this path blindly, even happily, foisting all your negativity off on others when mistakes of your own making manifest. You’ve done it before us, you’ll do it after us. It’s a road that will never lead you to our titles, though.”
”Exactly. The talent solely in terms of in-ring competition is there, girls. But you’d rather make headlines for all the wrong reasons instead of tapping into that. You don’t want to work for it. You want it all handed to you. That’s not how this business works.”
”The only thing you’ll be handed at Validation is defeat.”
Farrah nods almost grimly while her black-clad partner relaxes against the wall, adjusting the title belt just so.
”They’ll give us a fight at least, Zee. That much we can count on.”
”Good. Because when the bell rings to end it all, I don’t want any excuses. Everyone that has spurred us forward and supported us, our blood relations and extended families, the people we love and the fans we’ve made… we owe it to them to be at our very best…”
Turning to the Jersey Hellcat briefly to respond to her, Zoey turns mid-sentence to the camera to complete her thought in the direction of Grey and Steele.
”...and if the two of you have a shred of pride within you, you’ll find your own reasons. Maybe it will be your associates in the entertainment business, perhaps your girlfriend, Kenzi, or your husband, Kate. You’ll look at them and feel the fire within the same as we and bring a battle to shake Heaven above and Hell below. For the sake of someone other than yourselves, you might just find what you need to give us pause.”
”You’d damn well better, girls. Because there’s no ‘ifs’ when it comes to us. What we showed the world versus the Naughty Girls was impressive or so we have been told, but that isn’t good enough anymore. We have to be better and at Validation, we will be. It’s going up to a whole new level. And if you can’t keep up we’ll break you like an eagle dropping a turtle on a rock from a thousand feet up.”
”It won’t be the fall that hurts, though. It’ll be the sudden stop.”
Farrah nudges her partner playfully with a smirk.
”Hey! My move, my line!”
”Sorry, sorry…”
”You are not!”
Once the two compose themselves, they get back on point, directing their considerable determination and drive toward Guilty Pleasure with renewed vigor.
”And yes, I’m repeating myself yet again: we warned you. Both of us, multiple times, told you that there was a limit that you do not push a good person past. But, you being you, you wrote that off as us trying to scare you. It’s that sort of thoughtless and shortsighted attitude that will forever cripple you girls. Let’s try it again, though. Think of the sweetest, kindest person you can. Got someone in mind?”
”Ten bucks says they’re thinking of themselves.”
”No bet.”
Rolling her eyes adorably, Zoey turns her attention to her title for a moment with a hidden smile while Farrah stares into the camera, hiding her amusement somewhat.
”Now… flip them. Make them go full Negative Zone. Have Mister Negative give them a nudge. Call out Doctor Doom and the Scarlet Witch to invert them…”
”Careful, now. You’ll give Kate a geekgasm.”
”...and think to yourself what that person would be like. Imagine an Alex who is as evil as she is kind. Hell, imagine Pet, or Anya if you prefer, as a kind soul. See how scary that is? The potential for totally throwing the whole damn game out of whack? Well, take a look at the Indigo Enchantress next to me…”
Zoey takes a moment to bow beautifully to the camera before rising up and artfully tossing her head to arrange her hair over her shoulder.
”...and realize that she’s about two cross words from the same state. Handling her in the ring when she fights with honor and restraint is hard enough for you lot. Take off the limiters and she becomes a world-beater, equal parts scary and by-God stunning in her violent ferocity. That’s what’s in store for you.”
Symbolically letting that sink in, Farrah gives it a couple seconds before she continues.
”Me? I’m still the no-remorse, no-regrets hardass you know and love. I just have more to fight for now… more reasons to go out there and be the best there is at what I do. You should take that every bit as seriously, though. Anger may burn out after a while, but my family and my children… they carry me higher than my rage ever could. Maybe if you two weren’t such tools you’d have your own ace-in-the-hole like that. Call me crazy, but I don’t think Sarah and Teddy will serve in this case. They’re as self-serving as you two are.”
”Purity of intent, selfless love and devotion… you can’t fake that. You can’t create it. You have to earn it, fight for it. And from the fans on up, we have it. With them, for them, we refuse to give up or give in. You’ll have to take this to a level you’re not prepared for if you want these belts rightfully.”
Farrah nods in agreement.
”That’s not all you’re lacking though. There’s one very important trait that you just don’t have: passion.”
Another second to sink in. Then...
”Put everything else about the Boardwalk Angels aside. Zoey’s aspirations of building and operating her physical therapy center in her brother’s memory and her affection for putting on Las Vegas magic shows. My musical career and all the responsibilities and challenges that come with being the head of a major division in a multimillion-dollar company. Sweep all that off the table. Out of sight, out of mind.”
Zoey waves her hand in front of her face a few times with a small grin before reaffirming her grip on her title.
”Those are wonderful goals and challenges for us, and we will pursue them until the very end. But professional wrestling… that’s where the cream of our talent and energy goes. We want to be the very best tag team on the planet. The record-setting reigns that came before ours? We mean to shatter them. Our names will one day stand above all others when the subject of tag team excellence comes up in LAW and across the board. And we know how cocky that sounds so, seriously? Save your collective breath.
With every single match the difficulty ratchets up a notch. With every opponent we defeat, the challenge kicks up that much more. And we relish that. No, we welcome it. We want it to come to such a point that Dupree and Helms-King have to scour the globe and multiple companies to bring in other teams for us to meet in that ring. The Boardwalk Angels will spread our light and glory across the entire world of wrestling. But that? That’s the future. Here and now, we have you two to handle.”
”To handle. To throttle. To defeat. To destroy if it comes to that.”
Neither are smiling now. Both are locked in.
”You can’t fake what makes us who we are, Guilty Pleasure. And even if you could, you still wouldn’t be able to out-wrestle or out-fight us. You don’t have the guts to tough it out when the going gets rough. You’re not willing to work that hard, to cover yourselves with dirt, sweat and glory to get what you want. If you can’t talk or otherwise connive your way into it? You don’t want it.”
”Work ethic.”
You see what we say, the flashes of our lives beyond the ring that we show, and you mock. You try to throw negativity and heresy on our every move. Zoey’s honeymoon was running away from her responsibility as a champion. The travails of my family are a smokescreen for my lack of confidence and ability to thrive. Take your pick. You’ve said all that and worse.”
”Obfuscation.”
”And all that tripe has done is make the chances of you beating us for these belts a longer and longer shot than it already was. In school I whipped the asses of far badder girls than you just to get into a fight. As a woman, having put several years of that fire into aikido, I can snap you like a twig with a twist of my hands. And dear sweet Zoey? Putting in time within the cage with Catherine Neville, learning the art of ground-and-pound meshed with her intricate, intimate knowledge of how the body moves and works? You don’t want to know what she can do. But you’re going to feel it, like it or not.”
”A twist and a flick is all it takes. A pressure point or two, a yank on this joint or that… and they’ll have to carry you to the locker room. We don’t want to go that road, ladies, but you’ve left us no choice.”
”No matter what it takes, we’re walking that aisle…”
Farrah points out the stage and ramp leading to where the ring will soon stand in the background.
”...stepping between the ropes and successfully defending our LAW Tag Team Championships. Whether you tap out or can’t answer the three count is immaterial. We’re entering and leaving with the gold and moving on to the next challenge. It’s a fact, like gravity.”
”We’re over you, Guilty Pleasure. Figuratively and literally. Make your peace and step into our slice of Heaven ready to fight. The least you can do is give the fans their money worth while we put you down like they’ve been begging us to do for months.”
Both Angels hold their titles up high, the light catching them beautifully.
”It will be the show of a lifetime.”
”It will be the Boardwalk Angels rising once again.”
”Spread your wings, girls…”
”...and get ready to fly.”
The feed cuts out with the final image being that of the champions, gold front and center, ready for Validation.
* May 16th, 2017, early-evening *
* Downtown *
* Austin, TX *
The Peace of the Dark Side
In the six-plus months that Farrah had been dating James Cornett she had learned how read both him and the rest of the family. They didn’t call her Mama Red for nothing, though at first it was a cute nickname born out of one she gave to DJ (Little Red). Nicknames have a tendency of spiraling out of control like that. Whether one was talking about James, DJ, Jami, Sage, Twain or one of the extended members of the clan, the Jersey Hellcat had them, for the most part, on lock. They way they spoke, the physical tells birthed of varying situations, miniscule alterations to facial expressions… they were like triggers for Farrah. So when James became tense, pacing and glancing about rapidly, not speaking to anyone, she understood. Meeting Jami’s eyes, Farrah nodded and the crimson-haired beauty nodded back. Moments later she had taken her man by the arm with one hand and gathered her keys in the other.
”Let’s go for a ride.”
”...where?”
”Anywhere. It’s you and me taking time. No need for questions.”
Resistance entered his eyes but nonetheless James followed Farrah’s urging. Moments later they were on the road and cruising through downtown Austin. The radio never had a chance; Farrah reached out to crank the volume all the way down, her hand going back to the wheel as she gives James a sideways glance.
”You haven’t told them yet.”
”...no.”
”Because you feel guilty or because you think they won’t understand?”
”Both.”
”You’re underestimating them. Especially Jamilyn and Destiny. After all that this family has been through, I think they can handle learning about these beauties. When have they ever NOT understood, even if it took time?”
”What about you?”
Now it was Farrah’s turn to pause and consider. The subject of motherhood had come up several times before and her response had been that they would face that eventuality when it became a reality. Now? Now it was a reality in the most roundabout and out-of-left-field way possible. Flashing back for a moment, the Boardwalk Angel recalled the first moment she’d looked upon Sonia... seeing that saucy smile, those darkly-intense eyes and how the young girl had acquired the best of both parents…
It took James’s jostling her arm to make her realize the traffic light had turned green. Pulling through the intersection with a little more weight on the pedal than was intended, Farrah shook herself back to the present in short order.
”Glad I’m not the only one. Do you understand a little better now, Spice? There’s the strange happenstance that is part and parcel for our family, and then there’s the universal double back-burners that fuck our brains all to unholy hell. This plainly clarifies as the latter. Considering what’s coming not only for you but for those close to us, on top of Twain’s situation? I can’t in good conscience dump this at everyone’s feet like some weird-ass early-Christmas present. It won’t be right or fair for anyone concerned, especially Brenden, Brenna and Sonia.”
Farrah smiles, albeit faintly, and a tear threatens to slide down her right cheek before she reaches up to quickly wipe it away. Or she would have if James’s hand hadn’t gently stopped her, taking it for himself. Pink tinges the Hellcat’s cheeks now in place of the tear.
”It’s like seeing myself as a little girl again without all the pain, Sugar.”
”There was never any question, was there? The moment I laid eyes on her I had to do a double-take. Thought I’d stepped back in time or some shit. It’s freaky, yet amazingly beautiful at the same time.”
”You think for one moment any of the kids, much less me, could turn them away, seeing what we’ve seen? There may come a day when we create life ourselves, directly, as only we can… but right now, they deserve our love and focus. We tell them, baby. Tonight. After dinner.”
”You’re sure?”
Clasping the hand that took away her tear, Farrah clings to it tightly. Her eyes are still on the road and one hand remains on the wheel, but nothing else existed except her and the man beside her.
”I’m sure. I can see their smiles now. Zoey’s too.”
”She… how do I put this…”
Their hands remained clasped but lowered, resting upon the console between the seats. James’s expression betrayed a considerable amount of concern. For most anyone else he might have maintained a dismissive yet polite air. But Zoey had long since been adopted by the Cornetts. Hell, she was the godmother of Jami’s twins. You don’t just give someone that kind of status without them being special, not without them being in your heart.
”She’s way too close to the edge. A stiff wind would send her spiraling down.”
”Part of the reason she’s here with us right now. Someone has stepped in to make sure that measures are being taken to get her right again. Until that happens, however, she needs to be around people who love and respect her. Strained as she is, even you can see that being with us has kept a smile on her face and given her something good to focus on.”
”Don’t let her tumble into the darkness, Spice. We’re used to it. When the abyss screamed out to us and swallowed us deep, we cut our way out and made that liquid force of undying wrath our own. She isn’t made for that. She’s a creature of light. There are too few of those in the world and even as beings of darkness we must foster their strength and growth.”
”It’s under control, Sugar. Trust me. Now… let’s stop and pick up some champagne before we return. Zoey should have dinner ready by the time we’re back and afterward we can give them the news and pop the corks.”
Seeming a bit more open to the idea, James nods with a small smile of his own.
”Better pick up a bottle of sparkling cider for Zoey. Even though she might break her habit and partake of the champagne… in her state it would be best not to give the option.”
”Good call.”
The two make use of another red light to share a kiss that fogs the windows before pulling away and back into town.
”Certain parties who don’t require naming, lately at least, have been going on and on about how our days as champions are numbered, about how our lack of interaction with them all over the internet shows not only fear but acceptance of this ‘fact’. To that I say fuck right off. Zoey put it better than I ever could when she addressed our Validation opponents, stating that the moment this battle was over with us walking out still LAW Tag Team Champions, Guilty Pleasure would be relegated to obscurity, fighting for some form of relevance since they could no longer count on us to make them mean something. There’s a good damn reason that Zee is maintaining silence right now and if they’d paid half an ear to her message this past Saturday, they’d get that. But it’s all right. The angels are coming to break bitches at Validation and if our opponents want to go in blind and bold, more power to ‘em. Won’t hurt our feelings.”
* May 25th, 2017, nightfall *
* Cornett Enterprises, top floor *
* Fort Wayne, IN *
Unconventionality, Turbo-Style
The delivering of the news about the three children went better than expected. There was a great deal of joy, not only from the Cornetts themselves but also from Zoey. It was enough to bring her out of her darkness for a little bit, even. However, while beautiful in most every way, the growth of the family led Farrah to consider other matters. Though James had acquiesced to her idea of revealing the children to the rest, there was still a tension in him. Not a fear, per se, but a certain reservation that, while not uncharacteristic all considered, was disconcerting. Seven months since the day that changed both their lives forever, Farrah decided to take matters into her own hands.
Every little girl, whether they admit it or not, dreams of the day when someone comes along and changes their mind about love. When that person presents a token of undeniable devotion and dedication not only to them but to an unwritten future, it sends their heart into overdrive and those secret dreams come true. For some, they turn into nightmares. For some, they last until the very end. And you never know until you take that plunge. In 99.98% of cases, the man is left to choose the time, place and means. That’s conventional thinking. Farrah has never been one for convention. Why else would she chose to celebrate her man’s birthday not at some fancy restaurant or through a quiet night at home, but at his place of business? Leave it to the Jersey Hellcat to make it sound like the best idea in the world, though. Dinner was recently finished. Both James and Farrah stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows in the former’s office, looking out over the lit-up city. Both had a glass of Dom in hand, tapping them gently and taking long sips.
”Never just look anymore. Everyone raves about places like New York City or Chicago or L.A. for having the best skyline around but… this is my town and there’s no sight more beautiful in the world. Well…”
He turns, black-on-black suit and slicked-back hair, to look upon Farrah. She meets his eyes, dressed fully in crimson from top to heels, her dark hair hanging loose and straight about her mostly-bare shoulders.
”...almost.”
”You are not wrapping me in colored lights and standing me in front of a black wall draping, Sugar, to be stared at.”
Sipping her champagne, then reaching for the bottle to refill their glasses.
”That’s for Christmas only.”
”Uh-huh. And going to all this effort and expense… shouldn’t you be getting ready for Guilty Pleasure?”
”We ARE ready. That stick-girl Kate and her bottom-bitch Kenzi are already fucked. They just don’t know it yet. Zoey’s time with Dr. Shields has her more focused than ever. She’s far from recovered, but those difficult first steps have been taken. She’s got some rough patches ahead of her, but she doesn’t want for determination. Word is she had Jami training with her today, too. Way I hear it? Jami was tearing ass. I wish I’d been there to see it.”
”No shit? And with that crazy bitch that Zoey brawls with and calls it training? Mimi’s doing all right, then. Had I known that woman would be involved I’d have told her no flat-out.”
”Cadence felt the same until Zoey assured her that she’d be keeping an eye on things. Turns out there was no need. Rest assured though…”
Drawing up on her toes, Farrah manages to press her lips to James’s chin. Bastard was just too damn tall.
”...I’ve been training my ass off, too. We’re ready.”
”If you say it, I believe it. Now… I was assured that there would be presents?”
From the way James stared at Farrah, it looked as though the woman was already being unwrapped in his mind. She passes him a saucy smile and turns on her heel, walking over to the desk and taking up a box that was about a foot square. One of similar size remained on the desk, wrapped differently. As the Rated-F Angel presented the gift to James, she sucked in a deep breath and held it for a couple counts before letting go. She didn’t expect it to be this hard. But there was no stopping now. James had his eyes on her and the gears were a-turning’.
”James...“
”...uh-oh. My actual name? What did I do?”
He jokes and, honestly, the levity helps Farrah relax a touch.
”Stole my heart and soul, you bastard. Now hush for a minute!”
Both laugh before Farrah composes herself.
”Gonna get to the point here, Sugar. Our romance has been a whirlwind from the first time we laid eyes on one another. There’s been more ups and downs for us than a fucking mall escalator and yet here we stand, seven months later, more in love than ever. Our family has grown and we’ve looked every challenge in the face before beating it into submission, continuing to press on. But I know that deep down you’re still worried. You’re holding back. And I understand that. I do. You still hang tough with me and words will never properly express how much that means to me.”
”It isn’t on purpose, Spice. You know that.”
”I know. Too many times burned. It has made you gun-shy. As in love as we are, you wonder whether or not this is going to turn out like every other time. If I were in your shoes, I’d feel the same. But I can’t have that. Not anymore. Not where it comes to us. That’s why…”
She sucks in another breath, their silhouettes against the window and the skyline, half-visible in the dim, ambient light.
”...that’s why I’m taking matters into my own hands. You need that assurance. You need to know that I’m the exception, that what we have is forever… and like our love, words won’t do it justice. That’s why here, at the center of your power, on top of your world, on the anniversary of the first day you graced this world… I’m asking you to marry me.”
”...you’re what now?”
The reaction was just that: a reaction. No thought, no consideration… Farrah had managed to catch her Dark God by surprise. She did not reply; she put the gift in his hands and let him soak in the meaning of her words and actions in his own time. After a few moments, James’s head lowers and shakes a bit.
”You’ll never fucking cease to surprise me, baby.”
”You knew the risks when you got involved. This gift is a symbol of my devotion to you in this regard. There’s one for me, too. When the time comes that you feel ready, you can ask me yourself and know that I’ll say yes. You’re my forever. And nothing will make me let go of what we have. Now you know that beyond a shadow of a doubt. No more fear. No more wondering.”
”And if I never find the courage to take that step?”
Farrah shrugs her slender shoulders and smiles.
”You’re still fucking stuck with me, baby.”
”I love the sound of that. The time will come, Spice. I promise you that. Tonight, though...”
The lights go down until both are mere shadows. Powerful hands manipulate Farrah’s attire until it’s pooled at her feet, the woman taking a step out of it. Nothing, of course, is visible in this darkness except vague silhouettes… lest censors have a fit. But imaginations are funny things.
”...we celebrate life and love. In a few days, we’ll celebrate victory. Then it will be time to take that step.”
”Then take hold, my Dark God, and show me your power.”
The scene cuts to full darkness, a short step indeed.
* May 26th, 2017, early-evening *
* AT&T Arena *
* San Antonio, TX *
At the End of the Light
The fan access event ended about an hour ago, but the Boardwalk Angels are still flush with the joy that comes with meeting those who cheer them on. Courtney could not stay long unfortunately, but she made an appearance for a while and the fans swarmed her. It was the same for Crystal, with the people adopting her as the newest Angel quicker than anyone could have hoped. Zoey and Farrah were there for the length of the event, though. They signed autographs until they thought their hands would fall off and smiled until it seemed as though their faces would crack. But they did it happily and would do it again. One look at them told that tale.
Zoey, at the moment, was leaning against the wall and nursing a bottle of vitamin water. Unlike she’d been observed during her own broadcast a week ago, the Wild Mage had her smile in a near-constant state. Farrah, a little ways off, was going about setting up the digital camera on a tripod, using Zoey as a focusing point. The LAW Tag Team Championships rested over both of Zoey’s shoulders, gleaming beautifully in the high-powered lights of the arena interior. Once Farrah had the device to her liking, she joined Zoey and was given her half of the prize. Her own smile was predatory, telling the tale between the two. Both stared sharply at the camera while Farrah, using the remote, set it to recording before sliding it into her pocket. Giving it a few moments, she begins her address.
”You two… you just don’t get it, do you? We’ve spelled it out plain as day, both in front of a camera, all over Twitter and physically in the ring. How many times are you going to make us repeat ourselves? How many more times do we have to embarrass you before this sinks in? The Boardwalk Angels are the gold standard of tag team wrestling in LAW right now and we’re going to stay champions for as long as we desire. Every inch of the smack you talk has been swept away and now all you can do is stare at that truth. And no matter how much you downplay it or ignore it, it’s right there for the world to see.
That, in fact, is the main reason that the two of you are in the trouble you’re in at this point. It’s not about past transgressions anymore or about winning the verbal war. It’s not about the lies, fake injuries, front office intrigues or blowing pedestrian actions and accomplishments out of proportion. It’s about one thing:”
Knowing glancing to the title over her shoulder, Farrah kisses the gold medallion, her cheek touching it briefly as she looks at the camera with a grin. Zoey pats her own title, a fiery intensity in her stare, visually daring Guilty Pleasure to try and take it.
”You want what we have and you don’t care what means you have to apply to get it. You two, Kenzi and Kate, ignore every issue surrounding yourselves, your band and your team when it comes to these titles. You’ll lash out at anyone and anything that you think is hindering you, giving not a damn for the feelings of those you hurt, even if those people are or were once close to you, in order to lay your grubby claws on our gold. And I’ll be the first to admit that we can get a little nasty ourselves when it comes to our retorts. But you just have that effect, don’t you? Zoey admitted herself that your methods had an effect and threatened to make her a monster.”
How a person can do naught but lick their lips and alter the motion of their brows and suddenly give off a completely different vibe is something that only those in the fine arts could explain. Zoey accomplishes this as Farrah glances her way, then back to the camera.
”The sad part is that I don’t think either of you have reached the full depths of the depravity you’re capable of. The world has not yet seen how far Guilty Pleasure will sink to get what they want. People don’t have to take the moral high ground against you because, just by having a heart and a soul? They already stand over you in that regard. Zoey and I? We’re not high and mighty. We’ve made our share of mistakes, some public and some private. But compared to the two of you? Calling ourselves angels is just pointing out the obvious.”
”You hate us because we’re what you can never become on the road you’re walking. You walk this path blindly, even happily, foisting all your negativity off on others when mistakes of your own making manifest. You’ve done it before us, you’ll do it after us. It’s a road that will never lead you to our titles, though.”
”Exactly. The talent solely in terms of in-ring competition is there, girls. But you’d rather make headlines for all the wrong reasons instead of tapping into that. You don’t want to work for it. You want it all handed to you. That’s not how this business works.”
”The only thing you’ll be handed at Validation is defeat.”
Farrah nods almost grimly while her black-clad partner relaxes against the wall, adjusting the title belt just so.
”They’ll give us a fight at least, Zee. That much we can count on.”
”Good. Because when the bell rings to end it all, I don’t want any excuses. Everyone that has spurred us forward and supported us, our blood relations and extended families, the people we love and the fans we’ve made… we owe it to them to be at our very best…”
Turning to the Jersey Hellcat briefly to respond to her, Zoey turns mid-sentence to the camera to complete her thought in the direction of Grey and Steele.
”...and if the two of you have a shred of pride within you, you’ll find your own reasons. Maybe it will be your associates in the entertainment business, perhaps your girlfriend, Kenzi, or your husband, Kate. You’ll look at them and feel the fire within the same as we and bring a battle to shake Heaven above and Hell below. For the sake of someone other than yourselves, you might just find what you need to give us pause.”
”You’d damn well better, girls. Because there’s no ‘ifs’ when it comes to us. What we showed the world versus the Naughty Girls was impressive or so we have been told, but that isn’t good enough anymore. We have to be better and at Validation, we will be. It’s going up to a whole new level. And if you can’t keep up we’ll break you like an eagle dropping a turtle on a rock from a thousand feet up.”
”It won’t be the fall that hurts, though. It’ll be the sudden stop.”
Farrah nudges her partner playfully with a smirk.
”Hey! My move, my line!”
”Sorry, sorry…”
”You are not!”
Once the two compose themselves, they get back on point, directing their considerable determination and drive toward Guilty Pleasure with renewed vigor.
”And yes, I’m repeating myself yet again: we warned you. Both of us, multiple times, told you that there was a limit that you do not push a good person past. But, you being you, you wrote that off as us trying to scare you. It’s that sort of thoughtless and shortsighted attitude that will forever cripple you girls. Let’s try it again, though. Think of the sweetest, kindest person you can. Got someone in mind?”
”Ten bucks says they’re thinking of themselves.”
”No bet.”
Rolling her eyes adorably, Zoey turns her attention to her title for a moment with a hidden smile while Farrah stares into the camera, hiding her amusement somewhat.
”Now… flip them. Make them go full Negative Zone. Have Mister Negative give them a nudge. Call out Doctor Doom and the Scarlet Witch to invert them…”
”Careful, now. You’ll give Kate a geekgasm.”
”...and think to yourself what that person would be like. Imagine an Alex who is as evil as she is kind. Hell, imagine Pet, or Anya if you prefer, as a kind soul. See how scary that is? The potential for totally throwing the whole damn game out of whack? Well, take a look at the Indigo Enchantress next to me…”
Zoey takes a moment to bow beautifully to the camera before rising up and artfully tossing her head to arrange her hair over her shoulder.
”...and realize that she’s about two cross words from the same state. Handling her in the ring when she fights with honor and restraint is hard enough for you lot. Take off the limiters and she becomes a world-beater, equal parts scary and by-God stunning in her violent ferocity. That’s what’s in store for you.”
Symbolically letting that sink in, Farrah gives it a couple seconds before she continues.
”Me? I’m still the no-remorse, no-regrets hardass you know and love. I just have more to fight for now… more reasons to go out there and be the best there is at what I do. You should take that every bit as seriously, though. Anger may burn out after a while, but my family and my children… they carry me higher than my rage ever could. Maybe if you two weren’t such tools you’d have your own ace-in-the-hole like that. Call me crazy, but I don’t think Sarah and Teddy will serve in this case. They’re as self-serving as you two are.”
”Purity of intent, selfless love and devotion… you can’t fake that. You can’t create it. You have to earn it, fight for it. And from the fans on up, we have it. With them, for them, we refuse to give up or give in. You’ll have to take this to a level you’re not prepared for if you want these belts rightfully.”
Farrah nods in agreement.
”That’s not all you’re lacking though. There’s one very important trait that you just don’t have: passion.”
Another second to sink in. Then...
”Put everything else about the Boardwalk Angels aside. Zoey’s aspirations of building and operating her physical therapy center in her brother’s memory and her affection for putting on Las Vegas magic shows. My musical career and all the responsibilities and challenges that come with being the head of a major division in a multimillion-dollar company. Sweep all that off the table. Out of sight, out of mind.”
Zoey waves her hand in front of her face a few times with a small grin before reaffirming her grip on her title.
”Those are wonderful goals and challenges for us, and we will pursue them until the very end. But professional wrestling… that’s where the cream of our talent and energy goes. We want to be the very best tag team on the planet. The record-setting reigns that came before ours? We mean to shatter them. Our names will one day stand above all others when the subject of tag team excellence comes up in LAW and across the board. And we know how cocky that sounds so, seriously? Save your collective breath.
With every single match the difficulty ratchets up a notch. With every opponent we defeat, the challenge kicks up that much more. And we relish that. No, we welcome it. We want it to come to such a point that Dupree and Helms-King have to scour the globe and multiple companies to bring in other teams for us to meet in that ring. The Boardwalk Angels will spread our light and glory across the entire world of wrestling. But that? That’s the future. Here and now, we have you two to handle.”
”To handle. To throttle. To defeat. To destroy if it comes to that.”
Neither are smiling now. Both are locked in.
”You can’t fake what makes us who we are, Guilty Pleasure. And even if you could, you still wouldn’t be able to out-wrestle or out-fight us. You don’t have the guts to tough it out when the going gets rough. You’re not willing to work that hard, to cover yourselves with dirt, sweat and glory to get what you want. If you can’t talk or otherwise connive your way into it? You don’t want it.”
”Work ethic.”
You see what we say, the flashes of our lives beyond the ring that we show, and you mock. You try to throw negativity and heresy on our every move. Zoey’s honeymoon was running away from her responsibility as a champion. The travails of my family are a smokescreen for my lack of confidence and ability to thrive. Take your pick. You’ve said all that and worse.”
”Obfuscation.”
”And all that tripe has done is make the chances of you beating us for these belts a longer and longer shot than it already was. In school I whipped the asses of far badder girls than you just to get into a fight. As a woman, having put several years of that fire into aikido, I can snap you like a twig with a twist of my hands. And dear sweet Zoey? Putting in time within the cage with Catherine Neville, learning the art of ground-and-pound meshed with her intricate, intimate knowledge of how the body moves and works? You don’t want to know what she can do. But you’re going to feel it, like it or not.”
”A twist and a flick is all it takes. A pressure point or two, a yank on this joint or that… and they’ll have to carry you to the locker room. We don’t want to go that road, ladies, but you’ve left us no choice.”
”No matter what it takes, we’re walking that aisle…”
Farrah points out the stage and ramp leading to where the ring will soon stand in the background.
”...stepping between the ropes and successfully defending our LAW Tag Team Championships. Whether you tap out or can’t answer the three count is immaterial. We’re entering and leaving with the gold and moving on to the next challenge. It’s a fact, like gravity.”
”We’re over you, Guilty Pleasure. Figuratively and literally. Make your peace and step into our slice of Heaven ready to fight. The least you can do is give the fans their money worth while we put you down like they’ve been begging us to do for months.”
Both Angels hold their titles up high, the light catching them beautifully.
”It will be the show of a lifetime.”
”It will be the Boardwalk Angels rising once again.”
”Spread your wings, girls…”
”...and get ready to fly.”
The feed cuts out with the final image being that of the champions, gold front and center, ready for Validation.