Post by Jessica E. Mathis on Aug 19, 2016 22:28:43 GMT -6
The tall, brown haired woman in black yoga pants and orange tank top emerges from the coffee shop. In each hand she carries a paper-foam cup with a paper ring around it. She walks a few yards from the coffee shop and turns, walking up to a trio of gazeebos. Jessica Mathis, sunglasses on, sits in the right hand gazeebo, the wind blowing at her hair slightly. As the six foot, two hundred pound Vivian Nuune arrived, she set the cup in her right hand down before the Silver Heart.
Vivian Nuune: "One hazelnut, skim latte with whipped cream."
Jessica picked up the cup, looking out over the mid afternoon scene before them. She could still see the ocean from here, although not as up close and personal as she might have liked. So far the conversation with the woman known as The Eclipse had been enlightening. At least about her own background. Jessica still had culled nothing more from the conversation other than she needed a mentor. Although she seriously did not want her father picking one. She suspected that he had been behind the selection of Robert Keyhome as her trainer to even get this far. She tried not to connect the two, although there was no forgetting the stories of their time traveling for some old federation together. She had heard many names from Robert's stories. Curiously, none of them had anything to do with Vivian's stories. The taller woman walked around and eased into her own seat. If they were in proper attire, it could be a tea party, minus the cakes.
Vivian Nuune: "Okay, so you want to know about how I got into wrestling proper?"
Jessica nodded, sipping her latte.
Vivian Nuune: "So, after working with that fruit loop Stevie Midnight doing commentary, I was ready to get in the ring. After some training, much like what you have done with Rob, I was advised that a local company was looking for talent, and that you know who knew someone who could get me in and help guide me."
Jessica rolls her eyes, but the look on her face remains interested.
Vivian Nuune: "Well. I got a call from NYWA, did a try out and got hired. I ended up getting the chance to work with a guy named Tre Crawford, who was to be my mentor. First thing I had to do was convince him I was ready."
Jessica Mathis: "How did you do that?"
Vivan grins, taking a slow sip of her own coffee before setting it carefully to the table top.
Vivian Nuune: "My debut match was against him. We had a guy run in, the guy he was feuding with at the time, and I tried to save the guy from Tre. He had like, a crowbar or something. Lead pipe. Something. He liked using shock-knuckles. Thankfully not this time. I got my head split open like an over ripe melon. Got me in good with the guy he was feuding with."
Jessica leans forward, hands wrapping around her latte tighter.
Jessica Mathis: "And?"
Vivian smiles a devious smile.
Vivian Nuune: "We let it go on for a couple of weeks before we swerved him and revealed I had been working with Tre the entire time. The look on his face when he figured it out was priceless!"
Jessica giggles, leaning back in her chair.
Jessica Mathis: "Sound awesome. To have someone believe in you like this Crawford guy did."
Vivian Nuune: "He really did believe in me. I did win a title while in NYWA. Tag Champion."
Jessica Mathis: "Who was your partner?"
Vivian Nuune: "Some stuck up, arrogant prick who didn't care about any title but the World Title. Never once occurred to him he would have to work his way up. I mean literally, he did not care. One of Tre's buddies at the time and I had a discussion about it. I got so low, I tossed my belt away."
Jessica's eyebrows go up.
Jessica Mathis: "Really? Where?"
To her surprise, Vivian points out toward the ocean.
Vivian Nuune: "Over there."
Jessica turns, looking for a trash can or something. She looks back, a look of disbelief on her face.
Vivian Nuune: "I was so distressed, depressed about the whole thing. I had worked so hard to win a title, and I thought that winning one would vindicate me. Validate all that I had done. But it was a team title, and my teammate wanted less than nothing to do with me, or a team. This friend of his and I decided I should just walk away from it. So I got on the ferry and dropped the thing overboard halfway out."
Jessica stands up from the table, palms flat on the surface, leaning over.
Jessica Mathis: "No freakin' way!"
Vivian nods calmly in confirmation.
Vivian Nuune: "Yep. Tre was super pissed off when he found out. Grabbed the guy, got a small boat and went out into the bay. Made the guy dive for about two hours before they found the belt on the bottom of the bay."
Jessica slowly sits down in her chair.
Jessica Mathis: "I can't believe that you...and then he..."
Vivian grins.
Vivian Nuune: "It really happened, Jem. I left the NYWA Tag Team Title Belt I had at the bottom of the Atlantic. I was sure it was all over. That I had failed. The title I had fought so hard to gain was meaningless. It meant nothing to he who was supposed to be my partner. It was just...well...a mockery. A mockery to me of everything I had done to that point. When I was with NYWA, I used to like to sit in the park and watch people walk by, serenely enveloped in their own lives, their own dramas and wonder, what would they do? What if they found out that everything they had worked so hard for was a mockery?"
Jessica's blue eyes dip at that revelation and question, sliding her sunglasses off.
Jessica Mathis: "I have no idea what I'd do."
Vivian smiles.
Vivian Nuune: "I think i do. Anyway. So I'm sitting there in the park. It's dark. I really am not in a good place emotionally so I don't care I'm probably being stalked by that point. That's when I saw them. Tre had called everyone in our group, all four of them. He, and they, came to the park looking for me. They found me sitting on that park bench. Tre sat down next to me and told me I was an idiot and a buffoon, but he understood why I had done it. He asked me if I regretted it."
Jessica, enthralled in Vivian's tale, leans forward, resting her elbows on the table, arms up and chin resting on the backs of her hands.
Jessica Mathis: "And?"
Vivan takes a slow, measured sip of her coffee.
Vivian Nuune: "I was honest. I told him that I regretted tossing the belt. That I also regretted having failed and having been made a mockery of. That's when he, and the others, told me that was a lot of nonsense. That I had earned that belt, despite my partner being a irritating twit. That even if he didn't take pride in his accomplishment, that I should. That the belt, while a nice memento of what you have done, was not the end all. That how I felt, how others viewed me in the sport, that's what mattered. That I took pride in my abilities, did the best I could and didn't let the indifference of that one man get me down would be the true measure of me as a champion. They then handed me back the cleaned, shiny and almost new looking Tag Team Belt and told me that I had earned that and to hell with anyone who thought I didn't deserve it. Tre helped me up off the bench and we went out for Chinese."
Jessica is almost hanging on Vivian's words until the last, when she laughs.
Jessica Mathis: "Wow. Quite a lesson."
Vivian nods.
Vivian Nuune: "So no matter what, even though you have not won either of your first two matches, I got to see them. You have a lot of talent, Jem. A great deal of potential. You just need to keep working hard until you have that ah-ha moment. Until you find someone to work with, to guide you. Someone to answer questions for you and help you find your way."
Jessica nods to that, looking more convinced after that story than before.
Jessica Mathis: "It won't be for me like it was for you. No one is putting the bug in someone's ear for me. I'm going to have to work hard to earn someone's attention."
Vivian Nuune: "You can do it, girl. I know you can. We wouldn't be sitting here having coffee if I didn't believe in you."
Jessica nods, looking down at the coffee cup, having been forgotten for the past few minutes, sitting on the table.
Jessica Mathis: "You've said you have replica belts."
Vivian nods.
Vivian Nuune: "Not everyone gets them, you have to ask for them in some places, others don't give them. I have replicas of both titles I won in my career."
Jessica smiles.
Jessica Mathis: "I'm flying out tomorrow. I got a call earlier I need to drop by Baltimore and visit the staff before I head home. Got my tickets rearranged."
Vivian Nuune: "Just keep your head up, listen to everything they say, and be grateful for any opportunities afforded you. Grab a hold of them with all your might and always, always do your best. It is not always about winning, but about competing."
Jessica nods, sipping at her coffee.
Jessica Mathis: "I've been on a developmental contract with VoW. I just hope this call isn't so they can say they aren't going to renew. The contract expires Sunday."
Vivian tilts her head.
Vivian Nuune: "And if they do not renew? Will you go back to applying to other organizations?"
Jessica shrugs to that.
Jessica Mathis: "I really don't know, Vee. I really don't. Know."
The wind picks up a little, bringing a cooler breeze to the gazeebos, which the two enjoy in silence, sipping their coffees.
Vivian Nuune: "One hazelnut, skim latte with whipped cream."
Jessica picked up the cup, looking out over the mid afternoon scene before them. She could still see the ocean from here, although not as up close and personal as she might have liked. So far the conversation with the woman known as The Eclipse had been enlightening. At least about her own background. Jessica still had culled nothing more from the conversation other than she needed a mentor. Although she seriously did not want her father picking one. She suspected that he had been behind the selection of Robert Keyhome as her trainer to even get this far. She tried not to connect the two, although there was no forgetting the stories of their time traveling for some old federation together. She had heard many names from Robert's stories. Curiously, none of them had anything to do with Vivian's stories. The taller woman walked around and eased into her own seat. If they were in proper attire, it could be a tea party, minus the cakes.
Vivian Nuune: "Okay, so you want to know about how I got into wrestling proper?"
Jessica nodded, sipping her latte.
Vivian Nuune: "So, after working with that fruit loop Stevie Midnight doing commentary, I was ready to get in the ring. After some training, much like what you have done with Rob, I was advised that a local company was looking for talent, and that you know who knew someone who could get me in and help guide me."
Jessica rolls her eyes, but the look on her face remains interested.
Vivian Nuune: "Well. I got a call from NYWA, did a try out and got hired. I ended up getting the chance to work with a guy named Tre Crawford, who was to be my mentor. First thing I had to do was convince him I was ready."
Jessica Mathis: "How did you do that?"
Vivan grins, taking a slow sip of her own coffee before setting it carefully to the table top.
Vivian Nuune: "My debut match was against him. We had a guy run in, the guy he was feuding with at the time, and I tried to save the guy from Tre. He had like, a crowbar or something. Lead pipe. Something. He liked using shock-knuckles. Thankfully not this time. I got my head split open like an over ripe melon. Got me in good with the guy he was feuding with."
Jessica leans forward, hands wrapping around her latte tighter.
Jessica Mathis: "And?"
Vivian smiles a devious smile.
Vivian Nuune: "We let it go on for a couple of weeks before we swerved him and revealed I had been working with Tre the entire time. The look on his face when he figured it out was priceless!"
Jessica giggles, leaning back in her chair.
Jessica Mathis: "Sound awesome. To have someone believe in you like this Crawford guy did."
Vivian Nuune: "He really did believe in me. I did win a title while in NYWA. Tag Champion."
Jessica Mathis: "Who was your partner?"
Vivian Nuune: "Some stuck up, arrogant prick who didn't care about any title but the World Title. Never once occurred to him he would have to work his way up. I mean literally, he did not care. One of Tre's buddies at the time and I had a discussion about it. I got so low, I tossed my belt away."
Jessica's eyebrows go up.
Jessica Mathis: "Really? Where?"
To her surprise, Vivian points out toward the ocean.
Vivian Nuune: "Over there."
Jessica turns, looking for a trash can or something. She looks back, a look of disbelief on her face.
Vivian Nuune: "I was so distressed, depressed about the whole thing. I had worked so hard to win a title, and I thought that winning one would vindicate me. Validate all that I had done. But it was a team title, and my teammate wanted less than nothing to do with me, or a team. This friend of his and I decided I should just walk away from it. So I got on the ferry and dropped the thing overboard halfway out."
Jessica stands up from the table, palms flat on the surface, leaning over.
Jessica Mathis: "No freakin' way!"
Vivian nods calmly in confirmation.
Vivian Nuune: "Yep. Tre was super pissed off when he found out. Grabbed the guy, got a small boat and went out into the bay. Made the guy dive for about two hours before they found the belt on the bottom of the bay."
Jessica slowly sits down in her chair.
Jessica Mathis: "I can't believe that you...and then he..."
Vivian grins.
Vivian Nuune: "It really happened, Jem. I left the NYWA Tag Team Title Belt I had at the bottom of the Atlantic. I was sure it was all over. That I had failed. The title I had fought so hard to gain was meaningless. It meant nothing to he who was supposed to be my partner. It was just...well...a mockery. A mockery to me of everything I had done to that point. When I was with NYWA, I used to like to sit in the park and watch people walk by, serenely enveloped in their own lives, their own dramas and wonder, what would they do? What if they found out that everything they had worked so hard for was a mockery?"
Jessica's blue eyes dip at that revelation and question, sliding her sunglasses off.
Jessica Mathis: "I have no idea what I'd do."
Vivian smiles.
Vivian Nuune: "I think i do. Anyway. So I'm sitting there in the park. It's dark. I really am not in a good place emotionally so I don't care I'm probably being stalked by that point. That's when I saw them. Tre had called everyone in our group, all four of them. He, and they, came to the park looking for me. They found me sitting on that park bench. Tre sat down next to me and told me I was an idiot and a buffoon, but he understood why I had done it. He asked me if I regretted it."
Jessica, enthralled in Vivian's tale, leans forward, resting her elbows on the table, arms up and chin resting on the backs of her hands.
Jessica Mathis: "And?"
Vivan takes a slow, measured sip of her coffee.
Vivian Nuune: "I was honest. I told him that I regretted tossing the belt. That I also regretted having failed and having been made a mockery of. That's when he, and the others, told me that was a lot of nonsense. That I had earned that belt, despite my partner being a irritating twit. That even if he didn't take pride in his accomplishment, that I should. That the belt, while a nice memento of what you have done, was not the end all. That how I felt, how others viewed me in the sport, that's what mattered. That I took pride in my abilities, did the best I could and didn't let the indifference of that one man get me down would be the true measure of me as a champion. They then handed me back the cleaned, shiny and almost new looking Tag Team Belt and told me that I had earned that and to hell with anyone who thought I didn't deserve it. Tre helped me up off the bench and we went out for Chinese."
Jessica is almost hanging on Vivian's words until the last, when she laughs.
Jessica Mathis: "Wow. Quite a lesson."
Vivian nods.
Vivian Nuune: "So no matter what, even though you have not won either of your first two matches, I got to see them. You have a lot of talent, Jem. A great deal of potential. You just need to keep working hard until you have that ah-ha moment. Until you find someone to work with, to guide you. Someone to answer questions for you and help you find your way."
Jessica nods to that, looking more convinced after that story than before.
Jessica Mathis: "It won't be for me like it was for you. No one is putting the bug in someone's ear for me. I'm going to have to work hard to earn someone's attention."
Vivian Nuune: "You can do it, girl. I know you can. We wouldn't be sitting here having coffee if I didn't believe in you."
Jessica nods, looking down at the coffee cup, having been forgotten for the past few minutes, sitting on the table.
Jessica Mathis: "You've said you have replica belts."
Vivian nods.
Vivian Nuune: "Not everyone gets them, you have to ask for them in some places, others don't give them. I have replicas of both titles I won in my career."
Jessica smiles.
Jessica Mathis: "I'm flying out tomorrow. I got a call earlier I need to drop by Baltimore and visit the staff before I head home. Got my tickets rearranged."
Vivian Nuune: "Just keep your head up, listen to everything they say, and be grateful for any opportunities afforded you. Grab a hold of them with all your might and always, always do your best. It is not always about winning, but about competing."
Jessica nods, sipping at her coffee.
Jessica Mathis: "I've been on a developmental contract with VoW. I just hope this call isn't so they can say they aren't going to renew. The contract expires Sunday."
Vivian tilts her head.
Vivian Nuune: "And if they do not renew? Will you go back to applying to other organizations?"
Jessica shrugs to that.
Jessica Mathis: "I really don't know, Vee. I really don't. Know."
The wind picks up a little, bringing a cooler breeze to the gazeebos, which the two enjoy in silence, sipping their coffees.