Post by JMC on Sept 10, 2016 13:25:20 GMT -6
[Dragoncon, Atlanta, Georgia; Monday, September 5th, 2016, 3:01PM EDT]
{Mood Music: “Controlling Transmission” from the Killer Instinct Arcade soundtrack.}
<Perspective: James Mitchell Cornett (On-Camera)>
Robert Axelrod.
Gillian Anderson.
Violett Beane.
Trace Beaulieu.
Beau Billingslea.
Jim Butcher.
Kari Byron.
Arthur Darvill.
Yeah, I’m gonna let you folks bask in the irony on that one for a bit.
Eliza Dushku.
Dave Fennoy.
Will Friedle. (…hey, Destiny still geeked about him for a bit. She loved that show.)
Summer Glau.
Erin Gray.
Jason Isaacs.
Alex Kingston. (OH YOU BETTER BELIEVE Paxar pestered me for autographs for both her and Alex on that one.)
Caity Lotz.
James Marsters.
Rose McIver.
Carey S. Means.
Lindsey Morgan.
Nolan fucking North.
One of the pioneers of my art form, as you’ll soon find out.
Christopher Paolini.
Judge Reinhold.
Christy Carlson Romano. (SHUT UP! Even Stevens was a great show, damnit!)
Katee Sackhoff. (Kate pushed right past me to get her autograph for her work in that gritty Power Rangers fanmake film.)
Allison Scagliotti.
Teddy Sears.
William Shatner.
Austin St. John.
Damn, EVEN HE pointed out the same thing Gwendolyn Massey did on Twitter….and yes, autograph for her from him.
Courtenay Taylor. (You expected this list WOULDN’T have the woman responsible for the voice of the Psychotic Biotic? How dare you.)
Robin Lord Taylor.
David Yost. (Another autograph for Gwen.)
Now what do all those names have in common?
They were at Dragoncon this year.
As was I.
At least for the last day.
After the nightmare that happened last year and the terror I had to deal with last week, I didn’t even want to be here. It seemed too soon, too inappropriate.
But my daughters both reminded me that my wife wouldn’t want me to sit at home depressed and alone all the time. She’d want me at least trying to interact with people.
My wife…
That memory will be forever etched into my soul. Seeing her bright eyes shimmering in the sunlight, her smile painted across her face, her deep Irish accent soothing my ears…
And then the crash coming from her end of the cab, snapping her neck and impacting her head to the point where she was gone before either of us knew what happened.
And it would have never happened if I hadn’t broken my promise to her.
No matter who tells me otherwise, it was my fault.
So while I was at a booth that the Dragoncon staff politely provided for myself and Kate…
Oh, I should mention this…because of the tragedies the last two years I was supposed to come here, the Dragoncon staff have more or less made me a permanent guest here. Any year I want to come here, they will pay for my hotel and any accommodations I need.
So Kate and I were here for a two-fold reason. On the one hand, this was a very sad occasion, one that we should not have been here for given the circumstances. On the other hand, with Kate and I in our natural environments and taking questions from the people around, it helped take out minds off stuff.
I won’t bore you with the entire rigalea of questions that we were asked, especially since a lot of them revolved around irrelevant details. But here are a few of the necessary things we were asked.
First, a teenager with a “Coldfire Phoenix” shirt on. Clearly a Jami fan who was more than upset about Jami’s injury.
“Can you shed a bit more light on your daughter’s condition and whether she’ll be released from VoW now that she’s unable to compete?”
I somehow knew that question was going to come up. While we had lucked out on finding out something that would have kept her out of the ring even longer, she didn’t want that exposed to the masses yet.
“Normally the fans know I’m all about letting them in on what’s going on with myself and my family…but out of integrity and respect for Jamilyn, I cannot reveal any more about what’s going on with her right now other than what already has been. She will update the fans when she’s ready to do so. I can tell you, however, that she has been offered a position within the company as an event coordinator regarding PPVs. It seems her actions over the last two VoW PPVs, even back at Fate of the Gods 2 when she wasn’t even a contracted part of VoW, increased VoW’s visibility and helped drive sales of merchandise and tickets across the board, and the VoW executives want her to continue to help with that aspect of the business. So while she might be unable to compete right now, don't think she's gone from the company as a whole just yet.”
An older gentleman then approached the microphone.
“This question is for Kate…how does it feel knowing you’re going into a tag team title match with a different partner than you’re used to?”
Kate was clearly thrown off by the question, but handled herself appropriately.
“I plan on addressing that later, but I will say that I couldn’t have gotten a better replacement for Jami. I really wish it’d be her at my side, but knowing that I have who has basically become my adoptive father at my side…it makes things a lot easier. And it’s a more fair match, because before, you had to similar styles going against more contrasting talents, so we would have been more predictable. Now, things are less known, so it gives James and I an advantage going into this event.”
Wonderfully worded answer from Kate. Her experience had allowed her to refine her answer well. The next person walked up.
A fan wearing a UXW shirt. This guy at least knows what he’s talking about.
“What’s it like knowing you’re taking your daughter’s place in a Tag Team Championship match?”
“Well first, it’s the Twin City Championship, let’s at least get that title right. Second, the irony of this situation is that Jami originally took my place in a tag team match a year ago when she made her debut on the circuit, so this kinda feels like a déjà vu feeling, as well as a full circle. Her career started by taking my place, and now, at least for the time being, her career is ending by me taking her place. That said, CaliKate and I already have a battle plan going into Breakthrough 51, and the show was advertised with a Cornett, so it’s only fair.”
Another fan came up to the microphone.
“Hey, I was curious, will you be bringing back JMC-TV for VoW?”
I laughed a bit as I processed that.
“I’m not going to say it’s impossible, the business has changed so much over the last several years. It depends on how inspired I get. But trust me, if I get inspired, it’s happening.”
And boy did I get inspired in the worst possible way...
{Mood Music: }
<Perspective: Cameraman>
JMC walks out of the Malibu airport dressed to the nines in his most slick business attire, his Rayban shades covering his eyes as he looks quite unshaven, which is to be expected given the last week or so. He looks around as if searching for someone, which, given that it's Malibu, could be just about anybody. He looks toward his watch and sighs.
"Please don't make me regret this, Zahara..," he mutters under his breath. His overall demeanor is clearly in serious mode, but his hand is still shaky.
A glance to the left, then the right... and when his gaze re-centers Zahara is walking towards him, having easily picked him out of the crowd milling about the terminal. White slacks, white shoes and a peach-colored blouse, her hair wrapped up in a messy bun with dimestore sunglasses covering her eyes... she hardly looked like the entertainer he knew. She looked... normal. A different kind of professional. The only thing that never changed was her smile. Despite the differences that had come up between them of late due to the actions of others, Zahara greets him with an embrace... a firm one.
"Glad you made it safely, sir."
James, meanwhile, remained in a steadfast pose, not even attempting to reciprocate the embrace. It was clear to anyone looking at them that he was clearly uncomfortable, and given recent events, he had right to be.
"I was expecting something a bit more...grape."
"Understandable. My job, though, necessitates softer hues more often. They're more soothing to the patients."
Leading James outside, Zahara put his bags in the back seat of her truck before walking around and getting in herself, awaiting him. He climbed in and shut the door rather uneventfully. The few times Zoey had seen him prior to Wednesday's events, he had been jovial, excited, or at the very least sociable. Now, he seemed almost on autopilot by comparison, devoid of feeling or emotions.
"That's right, you got an internship with a local therapeutic center. I can see how that would be too intense for some of the people there."
"Some people find purple a depressing color. Never really understood why."
Starting the engine, Zahara pulled out of the airport lot and got on the road toward town. She could tell right away that something was off-kilter with the man. Had felt it since the hug wasn't reciprocated, in fact. She had not taken it personally, though nor could she ignore it.
"This is likely more necessary than I thought... the training, I mean. Your tension is palpable."
"I wouldn't exactly call it tension."
He leaned his head back, clearly in thought. Under different circumstances, say, ten years ago, he'd have been a lot more flirtatious with the girl, but he was no longer interested in such pleasantries...at least for now.
But if anyone could get JMC back to normal...
His stomach started to growl audibly, but he didn't even react to it.
"The kind of week I've had...."
"...requires a certain amount of healing."
Zoey responds with a small smile. Instead of taking them toward the local athletic center she preferred to frequent, she turned them down a road along the beach before pulling into Malachi's. The rumbling in James' gut did not go unnoticed and she wouldn't have been surprised to hear a stronger growl once he got a whiff of this place.
"For me, that starts with food. When I'm down, this is the first place I go."
He looked at the restaurant with indifference.
"Not exactly what I had in mind..."
What he wasn't actively saying was that this would be the first time he'd eaten since the funeral, which was at least two days now. As he stepped out of the truck, his movements were getting noticeably slower.
"Then again, a workout and training session the likes of which I have in mind is going to require fuel..."
He took his shades off, his eyes almost emotionless. Either he was still tense after the confrontation that occurred at Breakthrough, expecting Zahara to rage at him for it at any moment, or the idea of losing his wife and almost his daughter in the same week had just about done him in emotionally.
Obviously unaware of his mindset but reading his body language well enough, Zahara likewise exited the vehicle and shut the door, activating the alarm. Gesturing to the deli, she nodded in response to JMC's comment.
"No better place than this for that. All the food is natural and homemade. But if you plan on working out as hard as you're implying, you'd best relax as well as eat. No offense, but you look like you're about to pull something just walking to the door."
"You'll have to forgive me if seeing my daughter pushed along the floor naked by your fiancé's foot while being insulted and degraded at your engagement party followed by the last time you and I technically spoke to each other has me more on-edge than usual," he nonchalantly explained. "Don't feel like causing more friction between us than necessary."
It was Zahara's turn to tense up now. That was not a scene that she recalled from the party, one that most likely happened while her attention was focused elsewhere. The smile evaporated and her jaw set, the change rather feeling too sudden, fully displaying the shock that this revelation brought about.
"...is that so."
It was not a question, but a statement. Without another word, Zahara turned and entered the restaurant, trying to dig down deep and find something to hold on to in an effort to calm herself.
It wasn't happening.
"...you never knew, did you?"
James had followed her in and seen her get rigid. He set a hand on the small of her back, trying to steady her.
"I wasn't sure if Jamilyn had asked her for that or not, but the two times I saw them Katalina was being vicious about her anorexia and her insecurities. The second time was vile even by Chaos' standards. She was even telling her Josh chose to leave her...and I've done some pretty bad shit as Chaos in my time, but warping a miscarriage like that, i don't care if it was asked for or not, is crossing a line."
He led her to a table nearby and sat her down, sitting across from her.
"I apologize for you finding out like this...I'd been under the impression you had approved. But now you know why Chaos has been targeting your Katalina heavily the last week or so."
"...you think I'd approve something like that?"
Sunglasses off, Zoey locks her golden eyes on JMC, not angrily but straight-ahead without reservation. She looked like a different person, someone wearing a mask of Zoey's face with an expression the young woman only wore extremely rarely.
"Katalina berating and degrading Jamilyn like that was not something I thought her capable of. And whether or not she asked for it, such an act should not have happened without both of them bringing it to my attention first. That bracelet Jami wears is not for show. I can't decide right now if I'm feeling angry, hurt, disrespected or all three at once."
"If I know Jami, she had something in mind that she knew you wouldn't approve of or would allow to happen, so she probably went to Kat. Problem is, I'm taking a wild guess things don't get anywhere near that intense with you two, but Kat thought she knew the safety protocols, so when Jamilyn didn't protest, she kept going or misinterpreted what Jamilyn originally wanted to begin with."
He put his hand on top of hers, and for the first time in a week, he felt...something.
"Please don't be upset with Jamilyn, she probably didn't expect things to get as far out of hand as they did. She looked like she was on the edge of internalizing some of what was being said, but whether she did I don't know."
He closed his eyes regretfully.
"I shouldn't have said anything, but with us being tag partners soon, it needed to be said. I'll understand if you want me to leave..."
Truthfully, though, he was now pissed at himself. Here she'd been trying to be friendly and sweet, and he'd crushed her unintentionally with a single sentence.
"Katalina has been in the 'business' for a long time. When it comes to protocol, nothing escapes her attention. I have observed her at work and spoken to those employed by her enough to be assured of that. What Jami asked for, Jami got. Whether or not she was prepared for it..."
That was something only the woman herself could answer. Zahara felt only anger where Jami and Katalina were concerned at that moment, though. It would pass, certainly, but the feelings mentioned before... they would take time to subside. Probably longer than she liked. As to James, Zahara turned her hands and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze.
"I'm glad you told me about it, believe it or not. Otherwise it might have come out at a bad moment and caused more problems than it already has. I'll do what I have to in order to settle things but for right now... let's leave it be, shall we?"
It wasn't really forced, but it took effort to bring her smile back. Around that point one of the servers came up to the table and Zahara ordered a tea for herself.
James ordered the same and, still holding her hand, sighed heavily.
"Look, this is probably stupid of me, but....is there anything I can do to give you your smile back for real? I hate that I've spoiled the defining feature of such a beautiful wizard...it's only right I do something to get it back in its true form."
It looked as if the sentiment alone helped, because Zahara did smile a little brighter at that, but in response she shook her head a little.
"Let me take care of lunch and we'll call it even. There's... really too much work to be done for me to let myself wallow in bad feelings. I know I'll have to deal with it eventually, but that day isn't today."
"Just...when you do, don't be too harsh on Jami at least. Knowing my daughter like I do, she had good intentions...she just tends to go about them the wrong way most of the time."
He chuckled.
"You know, it's funny...now that Chelsey's not around...I find myself understanding what drew Jami to you in the first place."
"I get the feeling that I'm about to blush..."
She responds with a small laugh, turning to thank the server as the tea is brought and to make her order. James did the same, only going for a light soup, as he noticed her tone.
"Chelsey got pretty territorial of me...the slightest hint of a compliment to someone else, she'd start having issues. If she were still here, I'd never get to truly admire the stunning sweetheart that i have as a partner now."
"For what it's worth I understand her possessiveness now that I've met you face to face. In the brief time I knew her I only saw her kind and charitable side, though she spoke highly of you during that time."
She tried to play off the depth of that compliment... she really did. But Zahara was blushing furiously at that point and even a blind person could have seen it for how it filtered into her tone.
"I can't say I wasn't loyal to her, but seeing the goddess in front of me...I'm kind of jealous of Mimi these days."
He smirked, almost back to his pre-Chelsey mannerisms.
"You are even more beautiful when you blush, Zoey Anne."
"Now that is just unfair, I'll have you know!"
She waggled a finger at him, falling back on her cute side when the compliments overwhelmed her.
"You are playing a dangerous game, sir, trifling with someone you're about to step in the ring against so soon! Just because you're handsome and charming doesn't mean I'll go easy on you!"
Not that she had ill intentions. Not this little magician. But after all his choice words she had to fire back somehow.
"On the contrary...I'm hoping this motivates you to impress me further. I've seen your ring work...the kind of flexibility you have..."
He held up his hand chuckling.
“But I see your point. I’ll back off.”
At that point the soup came, and he began to eat. What would happen beyond this was unknown, but the implications would be felt a few days later…
{Mood Music: "I Really Like You" by Carly Rae Jepsen}
<Perspective: James Mitchell Cornett (off-camera)>
As I walked into the studio, my venti Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino in my hand (with caramel drizzle), Carlos and Darius were hovered over the mixers as if there was some sort of conversation they were having. They had pushed me to come check something out, but they were being vague about it.
"Gentlemen...if this isn't a genuine article, I don't wanna hear it."
"Actually, we have a small glimmer of hope in the vast darkness which is your life, sir," Carlos joked.
"No more watching Swordfish for you. What you got?"
"A talented Jersey dime if I've ever heard of one, J-Dog," Darius got serious. "There ain't a genre of music we've tossed at her she ain't nailed yet, and her overall appeal...dude, even calling her a dime would be an insult."
"No joke," Carlos picked up. "More like a Jersey quarter, cause I ain't seen anything like this girl off the EC."
Much as they were building her up, I was thinking to myself, this BETTER have been on the up and up.
"Alright, I'll bite," as I stood up and walked to the pair. "What kind of..."
Looking into the soundproofed room, my jaw dropped almost immediately.
When they said this girl was a Jersey quarter, they sure as HELL weren't kidding!!
How to put it into the simplest terms?
Dark hair, long legs, a face that could smile or scowl with equal beauty... and a rather impressive voice. There was Italian blood in her for certain, noted by the fire coming out of her pipes. The song must have been her own because it hadn't been on any radio they'd have heard. Kind of a... soul piece. Early Tina Turner. "What's Love Got To Do With It?" but a little angrier. The way she belted it out and moved with the music and the words, one got the feeling that she was singing about something personal.
Didn't really sit with the pink dress she had on, but maybe that was just a flag of sorts... a signal that despite the force all around her there was a little femininity behind it all.
Either way, the angelic voice combined with her killer looks...
"Who is this?" I asked immediately.
"Farrah Martell. Recommended by Jamilyn and a friend of hers. You interested?" Darius asked.
He had meant signing her to the label...but I was seeing beyond that.
"Soon as she's done with this song, I wanna talk to her."
"You got it, boss. This ain't gonna be another Che-" Carlos began, but the look I shot him shut him up instantly. The Network had been under strict orders never to bring up that name again, not after I'd done some soul searching.
It started quiet, a scared little girl speaking from the corner. Rage built up as it reached a sharp crescendo, then it drifted back down to the same child, now grown up, with peace layered over pain. Or that was how Farrah herself put it. She pushed her hair behind her ear and nodded to the sound booth.
"You wanna take another go with it or are we good?"
"Oh we more than good, miss. You've even impressed the CEO from the looks of it," Carlos relayed to her, jabbing at me. "Mr. JMC himself wants to chat with ya. Nothing funny, dude's too classy for that, just business stuff."
Great job, Carlos...the one time I actually DID want a more personal conversation and he fucked it up. Still, at least the expectations were set now, so no pressure.
"That's so? Well, hell... why not?"
She was nonchalant, but her eyes could be felt burning through the window, seeking out the man wanting to have words with her. She didn't walk like a lady so much despite the heels and the dress; she marched. Confidently, as if daring someone to make her check her step.
I liked her already.
Coming out of the booth, she nodded to Carlos and then set eyes on me. A brief once over given, she offered me a smile and extended her hand.
"The man in charge?"
"James Mitchell Cornett. I have to admit, C-Note and D-Block normally blow a lot of smoke about their potential label signees, but I'm glad they were wrong this time. The type of talent you have is a rarity to say the least."
Now you might be thinking, *Dude, girl like that? Why didn't you say anything about her looks?* One, she would have expected that, and I'm of the firm belief that you should always avoid speaking about looks until the lady mentions them. Second, Tucker Max once said that to woo the right way, you tell a pretty girl she's smart and a smart girl she's pretty. Something about disarming a woman's normal behavior because she would expect the obvious compliment. Three, I was telling the truth about her voice. And fourth, the way she approached me told me that she was a lady who demanded respect, and far be it for me to deny her that.
Respect isn't earned, folks...you get what you demand.
"C-Note and D-Block..."
She glances in their direction and chuckles.
"Here I thought Z and I were the only ones with nicks like that. Guess we ain't the only weird ones."
A sharp eye, despite her deflective comment toward his associates, would have noticed the pink that rose in her cheeks at the compliment toward her singing... darker and hotter than her dress.
"As to the singing, well... Stacy and Jamilyn talked me into trying. It feels nice to let out all the energy, but I don't see my getting much out of it unless I come up with more songs than the one I wrote myself."
So the trick worked.
"Z...you mean Zoey? Of course, she mentioned you during training a few days ago. She'd said you were a visual media girl, but it seems your angelic singing voice was rather understated. Not that I'm complaining, I'm very pleasantly surprised."
I took her hand with a smile and led her to the couch nearby.
"Their nicknames go back farther than I’ve known them. That's a long story I'd rather not get into. I’d rather talk to Transcontinental Records' newest talent...assuming that you're interested, of course. But that blush on your cheeks tells me you weren't expecting anything to come of this..."
"Sometimes I let my friends talk me into things. Not that I'm against the idea of singing, just... eh, call it stage fright or self-consciousness. It was a dream for a long time. Got told enough times how unrealistic it was so... I shifted to photography and videography."
Walking over to the couch, she took a seat with him, her legs crossed in his direction. She blushed a bit deeper now, but did her best to stay even.
"Enough people telling me I ought to... it'd be stupid to not take the chance. Momma didn't raise an idiot, no matter how many times dad said otherwise."
She laughed at her own comment, though it certainly lent credence to the personal nature of the song.
"Well I'd say your mom was right on the nose with that one, Miss Martell....I'm glad Mimi talked you into this. She's got a sixth sense when it comes to talent."
Some would also argue that about Farrah's impossibly smoking figure and how sexy she was...but this was a business conversation. The only way it would go otherwise would be at Farrah's behest.
Unfortunately, Mimi had forgotten to warn me just how spirited Farrah really was...or maybe I should say fortunately...because what she said next would change the entire dynamic between the two of us.
"Got a sixth sense for a lot of things. You get someone like her with someone like Zee and they could change the world if the wanted."
Farrah chuckled at that, shaking her head.
"I'm just the good friend from back home."
Brushing her hair behind her ear, she nodded to the door.
"But I get the feeling you're serious. Otherwise you wouldn't be talking to me personally. How about we go get something to eat and you can tell me what you have in mind where the singing is concerned? I'm more than capable of covering my half of things, of course..."
"I wouldn't dream of challenging the notion of such an independent woman, Miss Martell. You're even well-dressed for the place I had in mind. You'll be turning quite a few heads to say the least...mine included."
"Charming, are ya? Fair enough. Don't be surprised when I turn it back on you, handsome."
She rose, smoothing out her dress and giving me the kind of wink that made guys shiver.
Most guys, anyway.
Luckily for me, I had a great deal more self-control.
"I feel like it would be unprofessional of me if i were to remark that the way your dress fits is giving me plenty of ideas and that your beauty would enrapture a lesser man without a second glance. So let's just go with the idea that this will be as personal of a date as you wish it to be."
"You know..."
Farrah responds, folding her arms with a hip popped out, having all the look of a woman who was about to use her tongue to tear a man's head off his shoulders.
"...I like you. You don't do bullshit. You think it, you say it. Consequences can go to hell. More people oughta have that sort of fire in them."
Coming to his side, she offers her arm to him.
"Shall we?"
"The feeling, Farrah..."
I took her arm in mine and smiled back, glad that this firey goddess appreciated the kind of person I am.
"...is more than mutual."
{Mood Music: “Drive Me Sane” by Farrah Martell}
I’ll save you the details, but let’s just say Farrah woke me up, for lack of a better term. So while she was upstairs in my kitchen making a breakfast fit for a soon-to-be champion, I was in the basement of my home, with a camera in my regulation-sized ring, a dagger in my left hand and my workout clothes prepped. I’d started out leaning against the ropes, being a bit on the casual side.
“Ladies and gentlemen…WELCOME TO JMC-TV! All of me you can’t stand, all the time I want!”
Yeah, may be Early Ops material, but the fanbase I had loved those kinds of homages.
Now was the time to get serious, though.
“Just over a year ago, I walked into Ultimate Extreme Wrestling in an opening match against Naiser King. It was the first time I’d been in a ring in five years, so the expectations were low as far as what could be done from me. What happened? The match we put on was such an instant classic, I was put up against the World Champion, who at that point had yet to be defeated, in a non-title match with an opportunity at the Xtreme Championship on the line. Even removing that, everyone agreed that the opening match that night set the tone for the rest of the night, a tone no other match could top.
“It took one…match…the opening match…to set the tone for my career in UXW.
“Now, history is getting a repeat of itself. My first match since UXW’s closing is the opening contest against two of the Orphanage with my daughter’s girlfriend in a Twin City Championship match. So once again, the opening match, my first match in a company, sets the tone of not only my career but how the rest of the card will go.”
Black eyes surfaced into the reflection from my brown irises as I began to recall what I’d seen of the card’s main event.
“Down to the fact that the actions Katalina Star took against our daughter are being rewarded with a championship opportunity.
And here we fucking go…
My body began to pace as the handle of the dagger rotated in my hand, suddenly grateful Chelsey wasn’t here to see what I was devolving into. Then again, considering how that woman seemed to ignore my daughters while focusing on my sons, and considering how I was a holistic family man (you focus on all, not part, for those of you who may not understand what “holistic” means), maybe it was better for her to be gone. I’m not saying I wished for her to die, don’t get me wrong, but…well, her issues with Jamilyn were well-documented, and she and all her friends always seemed to focus on Twain and Sage, while Jami and DJ got passed over…
Yeah, let’s not get into this now. Don’t really feel like blurring the lines today.
The point was, Farrah ended up being the perfect person to get me back on track, and she, unlike Chelsey, actually seemed to want Shadow Chaos to surface like this, especially when it came to situations like what I was about to face.
“We are beginning to understand now why Katie Moicelle has such an issue with this company…if this were any other organization, such a blatant disregard for competition would have been punished with a suspension, a fine, or at the very least a public admonishment. And yet, as Rayne Omega seems to have pointed out rather eagerly, Strife has not only been more or less ignored by the company’s higher-ups, she has actually been rewarded with a championship opportunity for her actions. As our politer side told Zahara Matisse, we will not actively hunt Strife down, although now that she’s aware of the source of our original issue with you I have my doubts she’ll object as hard as she had been, but sooner or later, she’s going to answer for what she’s done, and no one will be able to stop us from exacting our revenge, especially not our less violent side. However, considering what could have happened at Breakthrough 50 thanks to Strife’s concern for her fucking maid, the idea that she hasn’t been even close to reprimanded as of the time of this recording is appalling to us. We are imploring the VoW staff…prove us wrong. Prove Katie wrong. Prove the entire company wrong and start showing some dignity and honor in your dealings with your talent. Our daughter could have been paralyzed…or FAR worse…because of Strife’s actions, and the fact that you’re rewarding her with a championship opportunity is only proving to people that Moicelle has been right…do you REALLY want to kill the one bright spot your company has right now?! Or are we going to have to challenge Moicelle ourselves in order to put her back on the path of light before she devolves into something worse that even WE could become?”
I closed my eyes and waited a moment, calming down before I opened them again. Now the eyes were back to brown.
“But that’s just it…now isn’t the time to be controlling the domina. After all, you can’t pick the color of wallpaper for a kitchen when the sink’s pipes are bursting with water, and Katalina is just a symptom of a much larger problem, the very reason I’m here to begin with.”
I went to the ringpost and climbed it, sitting down and turning back to the camera.
“First, we have Matthew Robinson. Now, how about we do something familiar to you fans of JMC-TV…go over things point by point, shall we?”
I then nodded to the giant plasma TV along the wall. It’s only at that point that I pulled the remote for the Blu-Ray player from my workout shorts and pressed the play button, revealing I had Robinson’s promo cued up. Now, this may seem primitive to those of you young folks, but if I was going to tackle this guy’s remarks, I was at least making sure I showed where my counterpoints came from to begin with.
I mean, it’s better than just talking in a ring, right?
“The fact that VoW picked you two to be the team to do battle with us over the vacant Twin City Championships proves one of two things. And no, one of those isn’t that they must believe you are worthy contenders, because quite frankly, one of you hasn’t even had their first damn match in this company yet!”
I paused the video and chuckled.
“Hey, for the record, I wasn’t exactly planning on gunning for a title my first match here either. You wanna bitch at someone, go complain to Katalina. She’s the one that rendered my daughter unable to compete. Which, as you’ll understand shortly, is central to the reason I’m even here in the first place.”
I spun the remote and pushed the play to resume the video.
“Yeah, I’m talking about you, James. The infamous James Mitchell Cornett. Multi-time champion. Hall of Famer. And King of the most fucked up, dysfunctional pathetic family I’ve ever seen!”
Pause again.
“Well, at least somebody did their research this time! The last time I entered a company, King didn’t even bother checking what the score was and made himself look like an absolute idiot. You, at least, seem to have the general idea, although that last one needs a bit of work. After all, I’m not the one who tried to break up two couples just to get her jollies off. I’m just saying…”
This would happen for a little bit, making sure I got my points across.
“How the Hell did you manage to get yourself into this match exactly, James? You’ve done absolutely nothing here!”
“It’s simple, dude. My contract specifically stated that should Jamilyn be unable to compete for any reason beyond her control, I was to take her spot on the roster. VoW didn’t want two Cornetts on the roster at the same time. So when Katalina caused Jamilyn’s concussion, they needed a Cornett to replace the one that got injured. Enter yours truly. Trust me, I ain’t a fan of what happened either, I’d planned to earn my shot a bit more significantly, but what are you gonna do…at least you’re still getting a great match out of this.”
“Did you pay management or something? Maybe you sucked off Ryan Omega since it’s quite clear nobody in your stupid family knows what fucking sexuality they are!”
“Wow, Matty….can you at least try to show some dignity here? If sexuality is the best you’ve got as far as an insult, then it’s gonna be easier to get inside your head than I thought. And even if I went a little bipolar when it came to that, what issue would there be with that? You make it sound like that should be a defining feature of this family when, seeing as you apparently did so much research on me, you should know that what defines my career is what lengths I go to in the ring, not who my friend Lucas sucked off in the parking lot that week.”
“You’re nothing, James. Nothing but a washed up hack who thought he’d try and have one last hurrah in the wrestling business.”
“Last hurrah….hmmm…let’s see, going into the company my daughter’s a part of to keep the hard work and dedication she put into the Twin City division, something you and your twat waffle wasn’t even concerned with or you’d have addressed the Neon Babes’ lack of contesting them WELL before CDK did…but yeah, it’s totally be being washed up and desperate for glory that I’m doing this. Do you even bother attempting to understand your own logic before you rec—no, of course you don’t.”
“But come Breakthrough 51, you’re going to wish you’d never even thought about coming out of retirement! You have absolutely no idea who you are stepping into the ring with!”
“Actually I do, because you never shut up about it! All you do is ‘I’m the greatest, I’ve done all this, fuck off.’ Here’s a fun game—somebody tell me when I’ve bragged about my accomplishments in this industry over the last six months. Go ahead, review Twitter, watch my brief NGW appearances, I’ll wait. NONE! You’ve talked about my history and accomplishments more than I have! It’s clear what you focus on at this point. You don’t think I haven’t studied your in-ring patterns or Winter’s? I’m familiar with you two a lot more than you think. In fact, your ignorance and mouth-running has only inspired me more to put you and your puppy in your places.”
“I guess once I’ve broken every bone in your body, at least one thing you can be proud of is that you saved your pathetic daughter from suffering that fate instead.”
“Trust me, I’d rather be lying in bed unable to see than have to get into the ring with as much of a mismatch of souls as you two. If Jami had been able to participate in this match, it’d just give me more fuel to destroy your little punk bitch ass even worse than I already do. But to be fair, you are actually the more innocent one in this little diatribe, so I’m gonna keep my focus on the here in now.”
“So what? You think that just because you beat those two whores twice that you’re suddenly better than a team like Animal Instinct?”
“Considering your track record as a team up to this point, I’d say the original Casa De Kami had a better shot than you. I mean, what have you done lately that’s been of any significance? Lost at the PPV. Granted, CDK didn’t even have a match at Heatstroke, but when their only loss was because of some self-righteous teen bitch who shouldn’t have been at ringside to begin with cheating their way into the win, and said team isn’t even here anymore, you tell me what that’s supposed to mean. And while I can’t say anything for Blink….well, I think my opinion of Strife is more than known at this point. And, from what some little birdies have told me, my point of view is a lot more accepted that the domina would have you believe. By the way, how’s your hand, Tyler?”
I chucked at that question. Little did some people realize Katalina was still trying to push her luck and that “Slavegirl Leia” was starting to regain her backbone, and it was all thanks to two people that I’d rather not name, but know who they are. I tossed the remote outside the ring and began to address Matthew again.
“The point is, MattPatt, you can recite your past achievements and talk about domination all you want, but in reality, what you are is a scared little boy trying to make himself look like the biggest dog in the yard when in reality, you’re just a bitch who needs his teddy bear to move past the hurt of life. You may be a decent person, but honestly, I don’t give five damns, two shits, and a limited edition IKEA fuck about that…you’re the side bitch in this equation. Nothing more, nothing less.”
It was a good thing I was uploading this video directly to Youtube. Everyone else may have been concerned about being role models, but if there was one thing I was known for, it was uncensored and unfiltered opinions. And to start holding my language back now would be a major detriment to getting my point across. Mind you, I was still able to articulate myself without dropping F-bombs every other sentence, but I was done being nice.
It was time to go after my true target.
“So then that brings us to Fried Chickenisha, the REAL target of my rage that made this all possible. You see, Matt, you ask why I deserve to be in this match…look no further than your precious Veronica. Sweetie, let’s get this clear now—I despise you. I detest you. Everyone else may eventually earn your respect, and everyone else may eventually be all ‘Well, she got put in her place by so-and-so, she’s not a concern anymore.’ Me? I’ll be pleasuring myself Friday night to the fact that I was able to prevent what your bottom bitch clearly wants, to give you your first taste of gold, and that’s not even going into vengeance for what you’ve caused.
“Confused? Of course you are.
“Let’s give a little refresher course. Fate of the Gods 2. Your little match with Stacy Jones. You made it where almost everyone distrusted her, even Katie Moicelle. You caused Katie to break up with her fiancé and move on in record time with another girl. Now, granted, one could argue I’ve done something similar after last night, but at least I had my mourning period before I started realizing how terrible my ‘wife’ really was and how much better I’ve ended up with since. But that’s aside from the point. You broke Katie and Stacy up, you more or less managed the split between Zelda and Tyler, and you nearly got Zelda to hate Stacy. And why? Just to get your Jill off?
“Only there was an unintended consequence of your actions leading up to Fate of the Gods 2.
“You got my daughter involved.”
Here came the black eyes again…
“Jamilyn wanted to help her friends out, so she did everything she could to prove you wrong and was the ONLY person in Stacy’s corner when the rest of the world doubted her. So when she saw that nobody got true justice that night for what you did, she joined VoW herself to one day put you in your place like the little eight-grade jealous girlfriend you were acting like. Which, given what we know of your past, is a laugh and a half in and of itself. And what happened? The moment she FINALLY gets a crack at you, in what would have been a career defining moment for her no less, here comes Katalina Star with the concussion from out of nowhere before she can even have time to process the implications.
“In fact, call us a cynic….please, that’s our only source of identity anymore…but if we didn’t know any better, we could swear you and Katalina had this planned from the start.
“The pieces fit together rather well….Katalina is part of the Tag Team Champions in LAW, the company Jami had just left because of how disrespectful the management was to her there, the idea of Jami getting the Twin City Championship before her would likely have irritated her, especially since she knew how good our daughter was…you had that last loose end to tie everything up and be proud of what all you’ve done, the one person that saw through your bullshit and had actively tried to stop you…so why not make a pact to take out your only competition to the titles so that eventually your respective teams could have that awesome match for the Twin Cities Championship? Sure, you two may have your issues because of my future tag team partner, but for a chance for Katalina to become a tag team champion in two companies at the same time and for Veronica to rid herself of the lone person capable of seeing through the smoke and mirrors she puts forth? Why not? And on top of everything, Katalina gets a shot at the I4NI championship because of her ‘viciousness’ in terms of competition, while you get a bye into the Twin City Championships. How could you possibly lose with that plan?
“Only you two didn’t factor the Man Setting the Standards, the Dark Paladin, to be in the wings in case such a situation should occur.
“You see, Veronica, and no, we refuse to call you ‘Winter’ anymore, because this isn’t business, this is personal for us, whether our hypothesis is correct or not, you initiated all of this. It was your actions against Stacy Jones that got Jami involved trying to help her friend. It was your actions that got Jami to think about joining VoW. And whether it was her decision to participate or not, you were the reason for it all. If you hadn’t gotten away with what you did, she wouldn’t have had to deal with her career being in jeopardy, and that’s the LEAST of what she’s dealing with right now. But it seems the Visionaries of Wrestling would rather reward the cruel and destructive and dismiss the honorable and just. You break two couples up and you get a guaranteed title match without even having to win a match. Katalina threatens lives and a career, and she’s awarded a title match herself.
“Well if chaos and destruction rule the day, then it’s time we step up and put you imitators in your places.
“We will deal with Strife in due time, she is not out of our grasp just yet, even more so after what we’ve learned about what exactly she’s done to Jamilyn in full. But you….Veronica, since you were the one whose actions eventually put our daughter’s life at risk in the first place, you will be put in your place. If the executives of the Visionaries won’t do anything to put you, Strife, and all these unappreciative, conniving, dastardly ingrates in place, then we have to correct the balance, by any means necessary. First, we will deny you the Twin City Championship that would give you the legacy you hoped to have. Second, we will make your little puppy Matthew realize his mistake in hooking up with such a horrible waste of space. Finally…we will do to you what you wanted to do to our daughter.
“We will decimate you.
“We will eviscerate you.
“We.
“Will.
“End.
“You.
“And when you look up at the stadium lights, desolated by the Chaotic Light that is CaliKate and ourselves…and you realize that the only Animal Instinct you have is to procreate for your bloodlines’ survival…and you discover there are already teams lined up to challenge Kate and I as the new Visionary Twin City Champions, from Practical Magic to Fun & Games…that’s Stacy and Katie, just in case it didn’t click inside those primitive minds of yours…you will understand that there are FOUR THINGS that will always ring true in our world.
“The water’s wet…
“The sky is blue…
“Chaos is the only constant…
“AND EVIL PEOPLE PISS ME OFF!”
A change from my normal formula of “stupid people”, but it’d been proven Veronica and Matthew were far from stupid. I held up the dagger I’d been brandishing in my left hand, looking at it carefully.
“Because at the end of the day, I was, am, and will always be the Fly in the Ointment, the Monkey in the Wrench, THE PAIN IN THE ASS….”
As I started to yell the last line, my hands combined, causing the dagger to pierce my right hand all the way through. I let go of the handle and held it up defiantly, the blood forming around the blade and dripping down my hand. Luckily, I’d done this so many times and my pain threshold was so insanely high that I didn't even feel the pain anymore; Farrah would patch my wound up, and the hand would be healed by Friday, no harm no foul. But I wanted this to drive my point home….whatever they attempted, I would feed off of it and push forward until I was successful.
Even if my darker side had to take over to do it.
“but most importantly…Chaotic Light will be the FinalHazards….”
I pulled the dagger out and threw it onto the mat, the last visual seen being me looking directly into the camera as my scarred and bleeding right hand covered half my face.
The brown back in my eyes.
“….to the vile and corrupt being rewarded in VoW anymore.”
{Mood Music: “Controlling Transmission” from the Killer Instinct Arcade soundtrack.}
<Perspective: James Mitchell Cornett (On-Camera)>
Robert Axelrod.
Gillian Anderson.
Violett Beane.
Trace Beaulieu.
Beau Billingslea.
Jim Butcher.
Kari Byron.
Arthur Darvill.
Yeah, I’m gonna let you folks bask in the irony on that one for a bit.
Eliza Dushku.
Dave Fennoy.
Will Friedle. (…hey, Destiny still geeked about him for a bit. She loved that show.)
Summer Glau.
Erin Gray.
Jason Isaacs.
Alex Kingston. (OH YOU BETTER BELIEVE Paxar pestered me for autographs for both her and Alex on that one.)
Caity Lotz.
James Marsters.
Rose McIver.
Carey S. Means.
Lindsey Morgan.
Nolan fucking North.
One of the pioneers of my art form, as you’ll soon find out.
Christopher Paolini.
Judge Reinhold.
Christy Carlson Romano. (SHUT UP! Even Stevens was a great show, damnit!)
Katee Sackhoff. (Kate pushed right past me to get her autograph for her work in that gritty Power Rangers fanmake film.)
Allison Scagliotti.
Teddy Sears.
William Shatner.
Austin St. John.
Damn, EVEN HE pointed out the same thing Gwendolyn Massey did on Twitter….and yes, autograph for her from him.
Courtenay Taylor. (You expected this list WOULDN’T have the woman responsible for the voice of the Psychotic Biotic? How dare you.)
Robin Lord Taylor.
David Yost. (Another autograph for Gwen.)
Now what do all those names have in common?
They were at Dragoncon this year.
As was I.
At least for the last day.
After the nightmare that happened last year and the terror I had to deal with last week, I didn’t even want to be here. It seemed too soon, too inappropriate.
But my daughters both reminded me that my wife wouldn’t want me to sit at home depressed and alone all the time. She’d want me at least trying to interact with people.
My wife…
That memory will be forever etched into my soul. Seeing her bright eyes shimmering in the sunlight, her smile painted across her face, her deep Irish accent soothing my ears…
And then the crash coming from her end of the cab, snapping her neck and impacting her head to the point where she was gone before either of us knew what happened.
And it would have never happened if I hadn’t broken my promise to her.
No matter who tells me otherwise, it was my fault.
So while I was at a booth that the Dragoncon staff politely provided for myself and Kate…
Oh, I should mention this…because of the tragedies the last two years I was supposed to come here, the Dragoncon staff have more or less made me a permanent guest here. Any year I want to come here, they will pay for my hotel and any accommodations I need.
So Kate and I were here for a two-fold reason. On the one hand, this was a very sad occasion, one that we should not have been here for given the circumstances. On the other hand, with Kate and I in our natural environments and taking questions from the people around, it helped take out minds off stuff.
I won’t bore you with the entire rigalea of questions that we were asked, especially since a lot of them revolved around irrelevant details. But here are a few of the necessary things we were asked.
First, a teenager with a “Coldfire Phoenix” shirt on. Clearly a Jami fan who was more than upset about Jami’s injury.
“Can you shed a bit more light on your daughter’s condition and whether she’ll be released from VoW now that she’s unable to compete?”
I somehow knew that question was going to come up. While we had lucked out on finding out something that would have kept her out of the ring even longer, she didn’t want that exposed to the masses yet.
“Normally the fans know I’m all about letting them in on what’s going on with myself and my family…but out of integrity and respect for Jamilyn, I cannot reveal any more about what’s going on with her right now other than what already has been. She will update the fans when she’s ready to do so. I can tell you, however, that she has been offered a position within the company as an event coordinator regarding PPVs. It seems her actions over the last two VoW PPVs, even back at Fate of the Gods 2 when she wasn’t even a contracted part of VoW, increased VoW’s visibility and helped drive sales of merchandise and tickets across the board, and the VoW executives want her to continue to help with that aspect of the business. So while she might be unable to compete right now, don't think she's gone from the company as a whole just yet.”
An older gentleman then approached the microphone.
“This question is for Kate…how does it feel knowing you’re going into a tag team title match with a different partner than you’re used to?”
Kate was clearly thrown off by the question, but handled herself appropriately.
“I plan on addressing that later, but I will say that I couldn’t have gotten a better replacement for Jami. I really wish it’d be her at my side, but knowing that I have who has basically become my adoptive father at my side…it makes things a lot easier. And it’s a more fair match, because before, you had to similar styles going against more contrasting talents, so we would have been more predictable. Now, things are less known, so it gives James and I an advantage going into this event.”
Wonderfully worded answer from Kate. Her experience had allowed her to refine her answer well. The next person walked up.
A fan wearing a UXW shirt. This guy at least knows what he’s talking about.
“What’s it like knowing you’re taking your daughter’s place in a Tag Team Championship match?”
“Well first, it’s the Twin City Championship, let’s at least get that title right. Second, the irony of this situation is that Jami originally took my place in a tag team match a year ago when she made her debut on the circuit, so this kinda feels like a déjà vu feeling, as well as a full circle. Her career started by taking my place, and now, at least for the time being, her career is ending by me taking her place. That said, CaliKate and I already have a battle plan going into Breakthrough 51, and the show was advertised with a Cornett, so it’s only fair.”
Another fan came up to the microphone.
“Hey, I was curious, will you be bringing back JMC-TV for VoW?”
I laughed a bit as I processed that.
“I’m not going to say it’s impossible, the business has changed so much over the last several years. It depends on how inspired I get. But trust me, if I get inspired, it’s happening.”
And boy did I get inspired in the worst possible way...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[Malibu, CA; Tuesday, September 6th, 2016; 2:12PM PDT]{Mood Music: }
<Perspective: Cameraman>
JMC walks out of the Malibu airport dressed to the nines in his most slick business attire, his Rayban shades covering his eyes as he looks quite unshaven, which is to be expected given the last week or so. He looks around as if searching for someone, which, given that it's Malibu, could be just about anybody. He looks toward his watch and sighs.
"Please don't make me regret this, Zahara..," he mutters under his breath. His overall demeanor is clearly in serious mode, but his hand is still shaky.
A glance to the left, then the right... and when his gaze re-centers Zahara is walking towards him, having easily picked him out of the crowd milling about the terminal. White slacks, white shoes and a peach-colored blouse, her hair wrapped up in a messy bun with dimestore sunglasses covering her eyes... she hardly looked like the entertainer he knew. She looked... normal. A different kind of professional. The only thing that never changed was her smile. Despite the differences that had come up between them of late due to the actions of others, Zahara greets him with an embrace... a firm one.
"Glad you made it safely, sir."
James, meanwhile, remained in a steadfast pose, not even attempting to reciprocate the embrace. It was clear to anyone looking at them that he was clearly uncomfortable, and given recent events, he had right to be.
"I was expecting something a bit more...grape."
"Understandable. My job, though, necessitates softer hues more often. They're more soothing to the patients."
Leading James outside, Zahara put his bags in the back seat of her truck before walking around and getting in herself, awaiting him. He climbed in and shut the door rather uneventfully. The few times Zoey had seen him prior to Wednesday's events, he had been jovial, excited, or at the very least sociable. Now, he seemed almost on autopilot by comparison, devoid of feeling or emotions.
"That's right, you got an internship with a local therapeutic center. I can see how that would be too intense for some of the people there."
"Some people find purple a depressing color. Never really understood why."
Starting the engine, Zahara pulled out of the airport lot and got on the road toward town. She could tell right away that something was off-kilter with the man. Had felt it since the hug wasn't reciprocated, in fact. She had not taken it personally, though nor could she ignore it.
"This is likely more necessary than I thought... the training, I mean. Your tension is palpable."
"I wouldn't exactly call it tension."
He leaned his head back, clearly in thought. Under different circumstances, say, ten years ago, he'd have been a lot more flirtatious with the girl, but he was no longer interested in such pleasantries...at least for now.
But if anyone could get JMC back to normal...
His stomach started to growl audibly, but he didn't even react to it.
"The kind of week I've had...."
"...requires a certain amount of healing."
Zoey responds with a small smile. Instead of taking them toward the local athletic center she preferred to frequent, she turned them down a road along the beach before pulling into Malachi's. The rumbling in James' gut did not go unnoticed and she wouldn't have been surprised to hear a stronger growl once he got a whiff of this place.
"For me, that starts with food. When I'm down, this is the first place I go."
He looked at the restaurant with indifference.
"Not exactly what I had in mind..."
What he wasn't actively saying was that this would be the first time he'd eaten since the funeral, which was at least two days now. As he stepped out of the truck, his movements were getting noticeably slower.
"Then again, a workout and training session the likes of which I have in mind is going to require fuel..."
He took his shades off, his eyes almost emotionless. Either he was still tense after the confrontation that occurred at Breakthrough, expecting Zahara to rage at him for it at any moment, or the idea of losing his wife and almost his daughter in the same week had just about done him in emotionally.
Obviously unaware of his mindset but reading his body language well enough, Zahara likewise exited the vehicle and shut the door, activating the alarm. Gesturing to the deli, she nodded in response to JMC's comment.
"No better place than this for that. All the food is natural and homemade. But if you plan on working out as hard as you're implying, you'd best relax as well as eat. No offense, but you look like you're about to pull something just walking to the door."
"You'll have to forgive me if seeing my daughter pushed along the floor naked by your fiancé's foot while being insulted and degraded at your engagement party followed by the last time you and I technically spoke to each other has me more on-edge than usual," he nonchalantly explained. "Don't feel like causing more friction between us than necessary."
It was Zahara's turn to tense up now. That was not a scene that she recalled from the party, one that most likely happened while her attention was focused elsewhere. The smile evaporated and her jaw set, the change rather feeling too sudden, fully displaying the shock that this revelation brought about.
"...is that so."
It was not a question, but a statement. Without another word, Zahara turned and entered the restaurant, trying to dig down deep and find something to hold on to in an effort to calm herself.
It wasn't happening.
"...you never knew, did you?"
James had followed her in and seen her get rigid. He set a hand on the small of her back, trying to steady her.
"I wasn't sure if Jamilyn had asked her for that or not, but the two times I saw them Katalina was being vicious about her anorexia and her insecurities. The second time was vile even by Chaos' standards. She was even telling her Josh chose to leave her...and I've done some pretty bad shit as Chaos in my time, but warping a miscarriage like that, i don't care if it was asked for or not, is crossing a line."
He led her to a table nearby and sat her down, sitting across from her.
"I apologize for you finding out like this...I'd been under the impression you had approved. But now you know why Chaos has been targeting your Katalina heavily the last week or so."
"...you think I'd approve something like that?"
Sunglasses off, Zoey locks her golden eyes on JMC, not angrily but straight-ahead without reservation. She looked like a different person, someone wearing a mask of Zoey's face with an expression the young woman only wore extremely rarely.
"Katalina berating and degrading Jamilyn like that was not something I thought her capable of. And whether or not she asked for it, such an act should not have happened without both of them bringing it to my attention first. That bracelet Jami wears is not for show. I can't decide right now if I'm feeling angry, hurt, disrespected or all three at once."
"If I know Jami, she had something in mind that she knew you wouldn't approve of or would allow to happen, so she probably went to Kat. Problem is, I'm taking a wild guess things don't get anywhere near that intense with you two, but Kat thought she knew the safety protocols, so when Jamilyn didn't protest, she kept going or misinterpreted what Jamilyn originally wanted to begin with."
He put his hand on top of hers, and for the first time in a week, he felt...something.
"Please don't be upset with Jamilyn, she probably didn't expect things to get as far out of hand as they did. She looked like she was on the edge of internalizing some of what was being said, but whether she did I don't know."
He closed his eyes regretfully.
"I shouldn't have said anything, but with us being tag partners soon, it needed to be said. I'll understand if you want me to leave..."
Truthfully, though, he was now pissed at himself. Here she'd been trying to be friendly and sweet, and he'd crushed her unintentionally with a single sentence.
"Katalina has been in the 'business' for a long time. When it comes to protocol, nothing escapes her attention. I have observed her at work and spoken to those employed by her enough to be assured of that. What Jami asked for, Jami got. Whether or not she was prepared for it..."
That was something only the woman herself could answer. Zahara felt only anger where Jami and Katalina were concerned at that moment, though. It would pass, certainly, but the feelings mentioned before... they would take time to subside. Probably longer than she liked. As to James, Zahara turned her hands and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze.
"I'm glad you told me about it, believe it or not. Otherwise it might have come out at a bad moment and caused more problems than it already has. I'll do what I have to in order to settle things but for right now... let's leave it be, shall we?"
It wasn't really forced, but it took effort to bring her smile back. Around that point one of the servers came up to the table and Zahara ordered a tea for herself.
James ordered the same and, still holding her hand, sighed heavily.
"Look, this is probably stupid of me, but....is there anything I can do to give you your smile back for real? I hate that I've spoiled the defining feature of such a beautiful wizard...it's only right I do something to get it back in its true form."
It looked as if the sentiment alone helped, because Zahara did smile a little brighter at that, but in response she shook her head a little.
"Let me take care of lunch and we'll call it even. There's... really too much work to be done for me to let myself wallow in bad feelings. I know I'll have to deal with it eventually, but that day isn't today."
"Just...when you do, don't be too harsh on Jami at least. Knowing my daughter like I do, she had good intentions...she just tends to go about them the wrong way most of the time."
He chuckled.
"You know, it's funny...now that Chelsey's not around...I find myself understanding what drew Jami to you in the first place."
"I get the feeling that I'm about to blush..."
She responds with a small laugh, turning to thank the server as the tea is brought and to make her order. James did the same, only going for a light soup, as he noticed her tone.
"Chelsey got pretty territorial of me...the slightest hint of a compliment to someone else, she'd start having issues. If she were still here, I'd never get to truly admire the stunning sweetheart that i have as a partner now."
"For what it's worth I understand her possessiveness now that I've met you face to face. In the brief time I knew her I only saw her kind and charitable side, though she spoke highly of you during that time."
She tried to play off the depth of that compliment... she really did. But Zahara was blushing furiously at that point and even a blind person could have seen it for how it filtered into her tone.
"I can't say I wasn't loyal to her, but seeing the goddess in front of me...I'm kind of jealous of Mimi these days."
He smirked, almost back to his pre-Chelsey mannerisms.
"You are even more beautiful when you blush, Zoey Anne."
"Now that is just unfair, I'll have you know!"
She waggled a finger at him, falling back on her cute side when the compliments overwhelmed her.
"You are playing a dangerous game, sir, trifling with someone you're about to step in the ring against so soon! Just because you're handsome and charming doesn't mean I'll go easy on you!"
Not that she had ill intentions. Not this little magician. But after all his choice words she had to fire back somehow.
"On the contrary...I'm hoping this motivates you to impress me further. I've seen your ring work...the kind of flexibility you have..."
He held up his hand chuckling.
“But I see your point. I’ll back off.”
At that point the soup came, and he began to eat. What would happen beyond this was unknown, but the implications would be felt a few days later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[Altervox Studios, Cornett Enterprises complex, Ft. Wayne, Indiana; Friday, September 9th, 2016; 11:45AM EDT]{Mood Music: "I Really Like You" by Carly Rae Jepsen}
<Perspective: James Mitchell Cornett (off-camera)>
As I walked into the studio, my venti Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino in my hand (with caramel drizzle), Carlos and Darius were hovered over the mixers as if there was some sort of conversation they were having. They had pushed me to come check something out, but they were being vague about it.
"Gentlemen...if this isn't a genuine article, I don't wanna hear it."
"Actually, we have a small glimmer of hope in the vast darkness which is your life, sir," Carlos joked.
"No more watching Swordfish for you. What you got?"
"A talented Jersey dime if I've ever heard of one, J-Dog," Darius got serious. "There ain't a genre of music we've tossed at her she ain't nailed yet, and her overall appeal...dude, even calling her a dime would be an insult."
"No joke," Carlos picked up. "More like a Jersey quarter, cause I ain't seen anything like this girl off the EC."
Much as they were building her up, I was thinking to myself, this BETTER have been on the up and up.
"Alright, I'll bite," as I stood up and walked to the pair. "What kind of..."
Looking into the soundproofed room, my jaw dropped almost immediately.
When they said this girl was a Jersey quarter, they sure as HELL weren't kidding!!
How to put it into the simplest terms?
Dark hair, long legs, a face that could smile or scowl with equal beauty... and a rather impressive voice. There was Italian blood in her for certain, noted by the fire coming out of her pipes. The song must have been her own because it hadn't been on any radio they'd have heard. Kind of a... soul piece. Early Tina Turner. "What's Love Got To Do With It?" but a little angrier. The way she belted it out and moved with the music and the words, one got the feeling that she was singing about something personal.
Didn't really sit with the pink dress she had on, but maybe that was just a flag of sorts... a signal that despite the force all around her there was a little femininity behind it all.
Either way, the angelic voice combined with her killer looks...
"Who is this?" I asked immediately.
"Farrah Martell. Recommended by Jamilyn and a friend of hers. You interested?" Darius asked.
He had meant signing her to the label...but I was seeing beyond that.
"Soon as she's done with this song, I wanna talk to her."
"You got it, boss. This ain't gonna be another Che-" Carlos began, but the look I shot him shut him up instantly. The Network had been under strict orders never to bring up that name again, not after I'd done some soul searching.
It started quiet, a scared little girl speaking from the corner. Rage built up as it reached a sharp crescendo, then it drifted back down to the same child, now grown up, with peace layered over pain. Or that was how Farrah herself put it. She pushed her hair behind her ear and nodded to the sound booth.
"You wanna take another go with it or are we good?"
"Oh we more than good, miss. You've even impressed the CEO from the looks of it," Carlos relayed to her, jabbing at me. "Mr. JMC himself wants to chat with ya. Nothing funny, dude's too classy for that, just business stuff."
Great job, Carlos...the one time I actually DID want a more personal conversation and he fucked it up. Still, at least the expectations were set now, so no pressure.
"That's so? Well, hell... why not?"
She was nonchalant, but her eyes could be felt burning through the window, seeking out the man wanting to have words with her. She didn't walk like a lady so much despite the heels and the dress; she marched. Confidently, as if daring someone to make her check her step.
I liked her already.
Coming out of the booth, she nodded to Carlos and then set eyes on me. A brief once over given, she offered me a smile and extended her hand.
"The man in charge?"
"James Mitchell Cornett. I have to admit, C-Note and D-Block normally blow a lot of smoke about their potential label signees, but I'm glad they were wrong this time. The type of talent you have is a rarity to say the least."
Now you might be thinking, *Dude, girl like that? Why didn't you say anything about her looks?* One, she would have expected that, and I'm of the firm belief that you should always avoid speaking about looks until the lady mentions them. Second, Tucker Max once said that to woo the right way, you tell a pretty girl she's smart and a smart girl she's pretty. Something about disarming a woman's normal behavior because she would expect the obvious compliment. Three, I was telling the truth about her voice. And fourth, the way she approached me told me that she was a lady who demanded respect, and far be it for me to deny her that.
Respect isn't earned, folks...you get what you demand.
"C-Note and D-Block..."
She glances in their direction and chuckles.
"Here I thought Z and I were the only ones with nicks like that. Guess we ain't the only weird ones."
A sharp eye, despite her deflective comment toward his associates, would have noticed the pink that rose in her cheeks at the compliment toward her singing... darker and hotter than her dress.
"As to the singing, well... Stacy and Jamilyn talked me into trying. It feels nice to let out all the energy, but I don't see my getting much out of it unless I come up with more songs than the one I wrote myself."
So the trick worked.
"Z...you mean Zoey? Of course, she mentioned you during training a few days ago. She'd said you were a visual media girl, but it seems your angelic singing voice was rather understated. Not that I'm complaining, I'm very pleasantly surprised."
I took her hand with a smile and led her to the couch nearby.
"Their nicknames go back farther than I’ve known them. That's a long story I'd rather not get into. I’d rather talk to Transcontinental Records' newest talent...assuming that you're interested, of course. But that blush on your cheeks tells me you weren't expecting anything to come of this..."
"Sometimes I let my friends talk me into things. Not that I'm against the idea of singing, just... eh, call it stage fright or self-consciousness. It was a dream for a long time. Got told enough times how unrealistic it was so... I shifted to photography and videography."
Walking over to the couch, she took a seat with him, her legs crossed in his direction. She blushed a bit deeper now, but did her best to stay even.
"Enough people telling me I ought to... it'd be stupid to not take the chance. Momma didn't raise an idiot, no matter how many times dad said otherwise."
She laughed at her own comment, though it certainly lent credence to the personal nature of the song.
"Well I'd say your mom was right on the nose with that one, Miss Martell....I'm glad Mimi talked you into this. She's got a sixth sense when it comes to talent."
Some would also argue that about Farrah's impossibly smoking figure and how sexy she was...but this was a business conversation. The only way it would go otherwise would be at Farrah's behest.
Unfortunately, Mimi had forgotten to warn me just how spirited Farrah really was...or maybe I should say fortunately...because what she said next would change the entire dynamic between the two of us.
"Got a sixth sense for a lot of things. You get someone like her with someone like Zee and they could change the world if the wanted."
Farrah chuckled at that, shaking her head.
"I'm just the good friend from back home."
Brushing her hair behind her ear, she nodded to the door.
"But I get the feeling you're serious. Otherwise you wouldn't be talking to me personally. How about we go get something to eat and you can tell me what you have in mind where the singing is concerned? I'm more than capable of covering my half of things, of course..."
"I wouldn't dream of challenging the notion of such an independent woman, Miss Martell. You're even well-dressed for the place I had in mind. You'll be turning quite a few heads to say the least...mine included."
"Charming, are ya? Fair enough. Don't be surprised when I turn it back on you, handsome."
She rose, smoothing out her dress and giving me the kind of wink that made guys shiver.
Most guys, anyway.
Luckily for me, I had a great deal more self-control.
"I feel like it would be unprofessional of me if i were to remark that the way your dress fits is giving me plenty of ideas and that your beauty would enrapture a lesser man without a second glance. So let's just go with the idea that this will be as personal of a date as you wish it to be."
"You know..."
Farrah responds, folding her arms with a hip popped out, having all the look of a woman who was about to use her tongue to tear a man's head off his shoulders.
"...I like you. You don't do bullshit. You think it, you say it. Consequences can go to hell. More people oughta have that sort of fire in them."
Coming to his side, she offers her arm to him.
"Shall we?"
"The feeling, Farrah..."
I took her arm in mine and smiled back, glad that this firey goddess appreciated the kind of person I am.
"...is more than mutual."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[The Cornett Mansion, North Manchester, IN; Saturday, September 10th, 2016, 9:45AM]{Mood Music: “Drive Me Sane” by Farrah Martell}
I’ll save you the details, but let’s just say Farrah woke me up, for lack of a better term. So while she was upstairs in my kitchen making a breakfast fit for a soon-to-be champion, I was in the basement of my home, with a camera in my regulation-sized ring, a dagger in my left hand and my workout clothes prepped. I’d started out leaning against the ropes, being a bit on the casual side.
“Ladies and gentlemen…WELCOME TO JMC-TV! All of me you can’t stand, all the time I want!”
Yeah, may be Early Ops material, but the fanbase I had loved those kinds of homages.
Now was the time to get serious, though.
“Just over a year ago, I walked into Ultimate Extreme Wrestling in an opening match against Naiser King. It was the first time I’d been in a ring in five years, so the expectations were low as far as what could be done from me. What happened? The match we put on was such an instant classic, I was put up against the World Champion, who at that point had yet to be defeated, in a non-title match with an opportunity at the Xtreme Championship on the line. Even removing that, everyone agreed that the opening match that night set the tone for the rest of the night, a tone no other match could top.
“It took one…match…the opening match…to set the tone for my career in UXW.
“Now, history is getting a repeat of itself. My first match since UXW’s closing is the opening contest against two of the Orphanage with my daughter’s girlfriend in a Twin City Championship match. So once again, the opening match, my first match in a company, sets the tone of not only my career but how the rest of the card will go.”
Black eyes surfaced into the reflection from my brown irises as I began to recall what I’d seen of the card’s main event.
“Down to the fact that the actions Katalina Star took against our daughter are being rewarded with a championship opportunity.
And here we fucking go…
My body began to pace as the handle of the dagger rotated in my hand, suddenly grateful Chelsey wasn’t here to see what I was devolving into. Then again, considering how that woman seemed to ignore my daughters while focusing on my sons, and considering how I was a holistic family man (you focus on all, not part, for those of you who may not understand what “holistic” means), maybe it was better for her to be gone. I’m not saying I wished for her to die, don’t get me wrong, but…well, her issues with Jamilyn were well-documented, and she and all her friends always seemed to focus on Twain and Sage, while Jami and DJ got passed over…
Yeah, let’s not get into this now. Don’t really feel like blurring the lines today.
The point was, Farrah ended up being the perfect person to get me back on track, and she, unlike Chelsey, actually seemed to want Shadow Chaos to surface like this, especially when it came to situations like what I was about to face.
“We are beginning to understand now why Katie Moicelle has such an issue with this company…if this were any other organization, such a blatant disregard for competition would have been punished with a suspension, a fine, or at the very least a public admonishment. And yet, as Rayne Omega seems to have pointed out rather eagerly, Strife has not only been more or less ignored by the company’s higher-ups, she has actually been rewarded with a championship opportunity for her actions. As our politer side told Zahara Matisse, we will not actively hunt Strife down, although now that she’s aware of the source of our original issue with you I have my doubts she’ll object as hard as she had been, but sooner or later, she’s going to answer for what she’s done, and no one will be able to stop us from exacting our revenge, especially not our less violent side. However, considering what could have happened at Breakthrough 50 thanks to Strife’s concern for her fucking maid, the idea that she hasn’t been even close to reprimanded as of the time of this recording is appalling to us. We are imploring the VoW staff…prove us wrong. Prove Katie wrong. Prove the entire company wrong and start showing some dignity and honor in your dealings with your talent. Our daughter could have been paralyzed…or FAR worse…because of Strife’s actions, and the fact that you’re rewarding her with a championship opportunity is only proving to people that Moicelle has been right…do you REALLY want to kill the one bright spot your company has right now?! Or are we going to have to challenge Moicelle ourselves in order to put her back on the path of light before she devolves into something worse that even WE could become?”
I closed my eyes and waited a moment, calming down before I opened them again. Now the eyes were back to brown.
“But that’s just it…now isn’t the time to be controlling the domina. After all, you can’t pick the color of wallpaper for a kitchen when the sink’s pipes are bursting with water, and Katalina is just a symptom of a much larger problem, the very reason I’m here to begin with.”
I went to the ringpost and climbed it, sitting down and turning back to the camera.
“First, we have Matthew Robinson. Now, how about we do something familiar to you fans of JMC-TV…go over things point by point, shall we?”
I then nodded to the giant plasma TV along the wall. It’s only at that point that I pulled the remote for the Blu-Ray player from my workout shorts and pressed the play button, revealing I had Robinson’s promo cued up. Now, this may seem primitive to those of you young folks, but if I was going to tackle this guy’s remarks, I was at least making sure I showed where my counterpoints came from to begin with.
I mean, it’s better than just talking in a ring, right?
“The fact that VoW picked you two to be the team to do battle with us over the vacant Twin City Championships proves one of two things. And no, one of those isn’t that they must believe you are worthy contenders, because quite frankly, one of you hasn’t even had their first damn match in this company yet!”
I paused the video and chuckled.
“Hey, for the record, I wasn’t exactly planning on gunning for a title my first match here either. You wanna bitch at someone, go complain to Katalina. She’s the one that rendered my daughter unable to compete. Which, as you’ll understand shortly, is central to the reason I’m even here in the first place.”
I spun the remote and pushed the play to resume the video.
“Yeah, I’m talking about you, James. The infamous James Mitchell Cornett. Multi-time champion. Hall of Famer. And King of the most fucked up, dysfunctional pathetic family I’ve ever seen!”
Pause again.
“Well, at least somebody did their research this time! The last time I entered a company, King didn’t even bother checking what the score was and made himself look like an absolute idiot. You, at least, seem to have the general idea, although that last one needs a bit of work. After all, I’m not the one who tried to break up two couples just to get her jollies off. I’m just saying…”
This would happen for a little bit, making sure I got my points across.
“How the Hell did you manage to get yourself into this match exactly, James? You’ve done absolutely nothing here!”
“It’s simple, dude. My contract specifically stated that should Jamilyn be unable to compete for any reason beyond her control, I was to take her spot on the roster. VoW didn’t want two Cornetts on the roster at the same time. So when Katalina caused Jamilyn’s concussion, they needed a Cornett to replace the one that got injured. Enter yours truly. Trust me, I ain’t a fan of what happened either, I’d planned to earn my shot a bit more significantly, but what are you gonna do…at least you’re still getting a great match out of this.”
“Did you pay management or something? Maybe you sucked off Ryan Omega since it’s quite clear nobody in your stupid family knows what fucking sexuality they are!”
“Wow, Matty….can you at least try to show some dignity here? If sexuality is the best you’ve got as far as an insult, then it’s gonna be easier to get inside your head than I thought. And even if I went a little bipolar when it came to that, what issue would there be with that? You make it sound like that should be a defining feature of this family when, seeing as you apparently did so much research on me, you should know that what defines my career is what lengths I go to in the ring, not who my friend Lucas sucked off in the parking lot that week.”
“You’re nothing, James. Nothing but a washed up hack who thought he’d try and have one last hurrah in the wrestling business.”
“Last hurrah….hmmm…let’s see, going into the company my daughter’s a part of to keep the hard work and dedication she put into the Twin City division, something you and your twat waffle wasn’t even concerned with or you’d have addressed the Neon Babes’ lack of contesting them WELL before CDK did…but yeah, it’s totally be being washed up and desperate for glory that I’m doing this. Do you even bother attempting to understand your own logic before you rec—no, of course you don’t.”
“But come Breakthrough 51, you’re going to wish you’d never even thought about coming out of retirement! You have absolutely no idea who you are stepping into the ring with!”
“Actually I do, because you never shut up about it! All you do is ‘I’m the greatest, I’ve done all this, fuck off.’ Here’s a fun game—somebody tell me when I’ve bragged about my accomplishments in this industry over the last six months. Go ahead, review Twitter, watch my brief NGW appearances, I’ll wait. NONE! You’ve talked about my history and accomplishments more than I have! It’s clear what you focus on at this point. You don’t think I haven’t studied your in-ring patterns or Winter’s? I’m familiar with you two a lot more than you think. In fact, your ignorance and mouth-running has only inspired me more to put you and your puppy in your places.”
“I guess once I’ve broken every bone in your body, at least one thing you can be proud of is that you saved your pathetic daughter from suffering that fate instead.”
“Trust me, I’d rather be lying in bed unable to see than have to get into the ring with as much of a mismatch of souls as you two. If Jami had been able to participate in this match, it’d just give me more fuel to destroy your little punk bitch ass even worse than I already do. But to be fair, you are actually the more innocent one in this little diatribe, so I’m gonna keep my focus on the here in now.”
“So what? You think that just because you beat those two whores twice that you’re suddenly better than a team like Animal Instinct?”
“Considering your track record as a team up to this point, I’d say the original Casa De Kami had a better shot than you. I mean, what have you done lately that’s been of any significance? Lost at the PPV. Granted, CDK didn’t even have a match at Heatstroke, but when their only loss was because of some self-righteous teen bitch who shouldn’t have been at ringside to begin with cheating their way into the win, and said team isn’t even here anymore, you tell me what that’s supposed to mean. And while I can’t say anything for Blink….well, I think my opinion of Strife is more than known at this point. And, from what some little birdies have told me, my point of view is a lot more accepted that the domina would have you believe. By the way, how’s your hand, Tyler?”
I chucked at that question. Little did some people realize Katalina was still trying to push her luck and that “Slavegirl Leia” was starting to regain her backbone, and it was all thanks to two people that I’d rather not name, but know who they are. I tossed the remote outside the ring and began to address Matthew again.
“The point is, MattPatt, you can recite your past achievements and talk about domination all you want, but in reality, what you are is a scared little boy trying to make himself look like the biggest dog in the yard when in reality, you’re just a bitch who needs his teddy bear to move past the hurt of life. You may be a decent person, but honestly, I don’t give five damns, two shits, and a limited edition IKEA fuck about that…you’re the side bitch in this equation. Nothing more, nothing less.”
It was a good thing I was uploading this video directly to Youtube. Everyone else may have been concerned about being role models, but if there was one thing I was known for, it was uncensored and unfiltered opinions. And to start holding my language back now would be a major detriment to getting my point across. Mind you, I was still able to articulate myself without dropping F-bombs every other sentence, but I was done being nice.
It was time to go after my true target.
“So then that brings us to Fried Chickenisha, the REAL target of my rage that made this all possible. You see, Matt, you ask why I deserve to be in this match…look no further than your precious Veronica. Sweetie, let’s get this clear now—I despise you. I detest you. Everyone else may eventually earn your respect, and everyone else may eventually be all ‘Well, she got put in her place by so-and-so, she’s not a concern anymore.’ Me? I’ll be pleasuring myself Friday night to the fact that I was able to prevent what your bottom bitch clearly wants, to give you your first taste of gold, and that’s not even going into vengeance for what you’ve caused.
“Confused? Of course you are.
“Let’s give a little refresher course. Fate of the Gods 2. Your little match with Stacy Jones. You made it where almost everyone distrusted her, even Katie Moicelle. You caused Katie to break up with her fiancé and move on in record time with another girl. Now, granted, one could argue I’ve done something similar after last night, but at least I had my mourning period before I started realizing how terrible my ‘wife’ really was and how much better I’ve ended up with since. But that’s aside from the point. You broke Katie and Stacy up, you more or less managed the split between Zelda and Tyler, and you nearly got Zelda to hate Stacy. And why? Just to get your Jill off?
“Only there was an unintended consequence of your actions leading up to Fate of the Gods 2.
“You got my daughter involved.”
Here came the black eyes again…
“Jamilyn wanted to help her friends out, so she did everything she could to prove you wrong and was the ONLY person in Stacy’s corner when the rest of the world doubted her. So when she saw that nobody got true justice that night for what you did, she joined VoW herself to one day put you in your place like the little eight-grade jealous girlfriend you were acting like. Which, given what we know of your past, is a laugh and a half in and of itself. And what happened? The moment she FINALLY gets a crack at you, in what would have been a career defining moment for her no less, here comes Katalina Star with the concussion from out of nowhere before she can even have time to process the implications.
“In fact, call us a cynic….please, that’s our only source of identity anymore…but if we didn’t know any better, we could swear you and Katalina had this planned from the start.
“The pieces fit together rather well….Katalina is part of the Tag Team Champions in LAW, the company Jami had just left because of how disrespectful the management was to her there, the idea of Jami getting the Twin City Championship before her would likely have irritated her, especially since she knew how good our daughter was…you had that last loose end to tie everything up and be proud of what all you’ve done, the one person that saw through your bullshit and had actively tried to stop you…so why not make a pact to take out your only competition to the titles so that eventually your respective teams could have that awesome match for the Twin Cities Championship? Sure, you two may have your issues because of my future tag team partner, but for a chance for Katalina to become a tag team champion in two companies at the same time and for Veronica to rid herself of the lone person capable of seeing through the smoke and mirrors she puts forth? Why not? And on top of everything, Katalina gets a shot at the I4NI championship because of her ‘viciousness’ in terms of competition, while you get a bye into the Twin City Championships. How could you possibly lose with that plan?
“Only you two didn’t factor the Man Setting the Standards, the Dark Paladin, to be in the wings in case such a situation should occur.
“You see, Veronica, and no, we refuse to call you ‘Winter’ anymore, because this isn’t business, this is personal for us, whether our hypothesis is correct or not, you initiated all of this. It was your actions against Stacy Jones that got Jami involved trying to help her friend. It was your actions that got Jami to think about joining VoW. And whether it was her decision to participate or not, you were the reason for it all. If you hadn’t gotten away with what you did, she wouldn’t have had to deal with her career being in jeopardy, and that’s the LEAST of what she’s dealing with right now. But it seems the Visionaries of Wrestling would rather reward the cruel and destructive and dismiss the honorable and just. You break two couples up and you get a guaranteed title match without even having to win a match. Katalina threatens lives and a career, and she’s awarded a title match herself.
“Well if chaos and destruction rule the day, then it’s time we step up and put you imitators in your places.
“We will deal with Strife in due time, she is not out of our grasp just yet, even more so after what we’ve learned about what exactly she’s done to Jamilyn in full. But you….Veronica, since you were the one whose actions eventually put our daughter’s life at risk in the first place, you will be put in your place. If the executives of the Visionaries won’t do anything to put you, Strife, and all these unappreciative, conniving, dastardly ingrates in place, then we have to correct the balance, by any means necessary. First, we will deny you the Twin City Championship that would give you the legacy you hoped to have. Second, we will make your little puppy Matthew realize his mistake in hooking up with such a horrible waste of space. Finally…we will do to you what you wanted to do to our daughter.
“We will decimate you.
“We will eviscerate you.
“We.
“Will.
“End.
“You.
“And when you look up at the stadium lights, desolated by the Chaotic Light that is CaliKate and ourselves…and you realize that the only Animal Instinct you have is to procreate for your bloodlines’ survival…and you discover there are already teams lined up to challenge Kate and I as the new Visionary Twin City Champions, from Practical Magic to Fun & Games…that’s Stacy and Katie, just in case it didn’t click inside those primitive minds of yours…you will understand that there are FOUR THINGS that will always ring true in our world.
“The water’s wet…
“The sky is blue…
“Chaos is the only constant…
“AND EVIL PEOPLE PISS ME OFF!”
A change from my normal formula of “stupid people”, but it’d been proven Veronica and Matthew were far from stupid. I held up the dagger I’d been brandishing in my left hand, looking at it carefully.
“Because at the end of the day, I was, am, and will always be the Fly in the Ointment, the Monkey in the Wrench, THE PAIN IN THE ASS….”
As I started to yell the last line, my hands combined, causing the dagger to pierce my right hand all the way through. I let go of the handle and held it up defiantly, the blood forming around the blade and dripping down my hand. Luckily, I’d done this so many times and my pain threshold was so insanely high that I didn't even feel the pain anymore; Farrah would patch my wound up, and the hand would be healed by Friday, no harm no foul. But I wanted this to drive my point home….whatever they attempted, I would feed off of it and push forward until I was successful.
Even if my darker side had to take over to do it.
“but most importantly…Chaotic Light will be the FinalHazards….”
I pulled the dagger out and threw it onto the mat, the last visual seen being me looking directly into the camera as my scarred and bleeding right hand covered half my face.
The brown back in my eyes.
“….to the vile and corrupt being rewarded in VoW anymore.”
