Monday May 20, 2013
Complete Darkness (Cause she’s blindfolded, remember?)
Indinapolis, Indiana (Oh dear God, she hopes)
6:34 PM Local Time
“Alright... on three Wendy. Okay? One... two.... THREE!”
The blindfold came off.
Her face fell.
And she looked at Terrence.
“Really?”
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Terrence said, grinning as wide as his bandadged, broken nose would allow him to, as if he were standing in a national park and not an abandoned race track. “North Marion Speedway, where I started my career!”
Now that he mentioned it, the place did look familiar- Wendy had gone to North Marion enough times to where she should have recognized it. But the track had closed back in 2008, she recalled, and it certainly looked the part. The entire facility was overgrown with weeds, including the track itself, which had the indiduous plants shooting through the numerous cracks in its surface. The grandstands themselves were stripped of all paint and dilapidated, and several windows in the announcers booth had been shattered. And thanks to the recent rain, the entire field was a pit of mud. She couldn’t even begin to fathom why her husband would drag her to such a dreary place.
“Thats... nice, Terrence” Wendy said, trying to subdue the throbbing thought that she was missing valuable training time for this. “Why are we here?” she continued, hoping to god that this wasn’t her husband’s idea of a spot for a nice family picnic. Even with the weather having cleared up from the afternoon’s thunderstorms, the speedway was a fairly depressing place. She hoped any of them didn’t get ticks... or tetanus... or the plague.
“I thought you might want to see it.” Terrence said, matter-of-factly. “I was thinking we should increase the banking... maybe widen the turns a bit. Heck, we might even get this thing open by 2014!”
Her husband was obviously getting ahead of himself, but Wendy realized what he was talking about almost instantly, and she whirled around, disbelief all over her face. “You cannot honestly be thinking about buying this dump.”
Terrence laughed. “Oh, don’t be silly, Wendy. I already BOUGHT it!”
For the first time all evening, Wendy was suddenly glad she had driven her elbow into her husband’s nose earlier, and was seriously contemplating doing it again. She tried to smile her sweetest fake smile, but could only manage a grimace, and stammer. “Wh...wh... WHY?!”
Terrence shrugged. “Well, I was thinking the other day. I’m getting older. You’re getting older. (For the second time, Wendy fought down the urge to slug him) We can’t do what we’re doing forever, you know. So I saw that this lot was up for sale, and, well, why not? There’s a serious lack of good stock car tracks in Indianapolis right now, most guys have to run up to Anderson. So why not bring back the NMS? It’d be fun!”
Wendy rubbed the bridge of her nose, unable to believe what she was hearing. “Terry, do you even know what it TAKES to operate a stock car track? Much less RESTORE one?”
Terrence shrugged. “Can’t be that hard. I’ve already talked to the local drivers, and they said they’d love to come back here if we fix it up. And how hard could THAT be? I figure, y’know, fix up the grandstands and repaint them. Clear out the weeds, repave the track...”
“Bury my husband...” Wendy muttered under her breath, glancing sidelong at her daughter. To her credit, Theresa had an expression on his face that clearly showed she too thought this was a bad idea. Great... so her seven year old daughter had more common sense. “How much did it cost?”
“Oh, about a hundred thousand. More or less.”
Terrence’s cavalier attitude about dropping a hundred grand on a dilapidated unusual racing stadium grated on Wendy’s nerves. She was still kicking herself for signing with that stupid Beautiful Health Club, and her husband had just spent TWENTY TIMES that money for something even MORE useless. And he didn’t even bat an eye!
“So this is my birthday present?” Wendy said, trying to keep her voice level. She didn’t want to sound ungracious, but even she had her limits as to how much she was willing to put up with. This was even dumber than the time he had given her a (homemade) coupon for one free oil change lesson.
“Oh, God no.” Terrence said, bursting out laughing. “This baby’s for me. And of course the wonderful stock car racing fans of central Indiana.”
Wendy snorted, a small smile forming on her face. “Oh, good. Because I thought you said you were surprising me with an early birthday present.”
“Oh yeah.” Terrence said, pointing across the track. “There it is.”
Wendy followed his gaze, and her smile promptly disappeared. “A... shed. How thoughtful of you, Terrence.”
“Yeah, it came with the property,” Terrence said. “Come on, let’s go check it out.”
Terrence turned around, and walked back to the car, humming a jaunty tune, while Wendy sulked behind him, nearly tripping on her daughter as she did. She got into the car, and slammed the door as Terrence started the Charger’s engine. She bit her lip to keep from screaming, at her husband and everything else. How much time was she wasting with this? When she could be training, or watching match tape, or at least trying to find a stupid ring she could train in for her big match in five days?
Instead, she was at an abandoned racetrack her husband had clearly bought without thinking things through, and on her way to look at her very own abandoned storage shed!
Yippie ki frickin yay.
It was only a couple minutes drive at least, around the gravel service road that surrounded the track (and was in surprisingly good condition too, all things considered). And to her surprise, the shed was actually bigger than she had thought- not quite a full-size warehouse, but definitely not the tiny building she had assumed it was. There were two huge doors, assumedly for a truck to enter, but it was a smaller side door that Terrence opened, inviting her in.
She had expected a cobweb infested nightmare, but the building was actually quite clean, if not a little dusty. A row of large halogen lamps hung from the peak of the roof, and Wendy almost had to shield her eyes at how bright it became inside. Still, despite it not being the spectacular health-hazard dump she had expected... it was just a storage shed, and she sighed.
And then it hit her.
“I could train here...” she whispered, looking around. There was more than enough room for plenty of workout equipment, even a ring. It was almost exciting to think about... even though she almost shuddered at the thought of how much work that could take to make this a proper training facility.
“Well, that’s what I was thinking,” Terrence said, grinning that his wife had caught on. “I mean, it wouldn’t exactly be Adonis & Appletini, or whatever, but you could probably at least make it as nice as that Speed City dump.
And no more having to rely on Crossroads wrestling, and at the mercy of a stupid sumo ladder match. In fact...
Wendy was suddenly so excited she could barely keep her hands steady as she reached into her pocket, nearly fumbling her phone as she grabbed for it. She dialed her manager, and paced back and forth as she listened to the ring on the other side.
Pollaskis tone when he answered was one of exasperation. "I'm still looking, dammit! And the goddman CIRCUS cancelled for Wednesday, and I’m trying to find a replacement!”
“Yeah, well... wait. A CIRCUS?” Wendy was flabbergasted.
“Yeah, for the musical. Just trust me... it’ll be awesome.”
“I... what... no. We don’t need a circus, Pollaski.” Wendy sighed. This conversation hadn’t exactly taken the direction she was hoping. Then again, they rarely did,where Pollaski was concerned.
“But I was gonna pay Jodie’s actress to lie down so that an elephant could take a big-”
"NEVER MIND THAT!," Wendy nearly screamed. She took a deep breath, calming herself. "Dan, what if I were to *buy* a ring? How much would that cost?"
"I dunno." Pollaski was clearly caught off guard. "Maybe four... five thousand for a nice one. Why?"
"Because I want you to get one." Wendys said, in an obvious tone. "I dont care if its new or used or state of the art. But I want it sturdy, and I want it SAFE. And Pollaski?"
"Yeah?"
"I want it delivered TOMORROW. I want to be running the ropes in here by tomorrow evening."
Pollaski sounded as if he didnt know whether to laugh or cry. "Delivered WHERE? You don't even have a space to stick a goddamn wrestling ring!"
"I do now!" Wendy responded fervently. "I’ll text you the address."
She heard a thud on the other end of the line, which she guessed wads her manager's skull colliding with his desk. His voice was as weary as Wendy had ever heard it. "I'll see what I can do."
"I believe it's 'Do or do not, there is no try,' Daniel"
"Don't go Master Yoda on me," Pollaski snapped. "All Yoda wanted was to get a goddamn spaceship out of the mud with the Force. I have to get an ENTIRE goddamn ring to Indianapolis in less than twenty-four hours."
"Using your cell phone, the power of persuasion, and my credit card," Wendy smiled. "This will be WAY more productive than a stupid circus. I have faith in you."
"Of course you do" Pollaski sighed. "Oh, and if you see Terrence, would you telk him to GET HIS FUCKING ASS OVER HERE AND FIX MY-"
Wendy pressed the 'end call' button, sliding her phone back in her pocket. She noticed both Terrence and Theresa staring at her.
"So, is he gonna do it?" Her husband asked. When Wendy nodded he continued. "He all bent out of shape that I havent fixed his car yet?"
Wendy raised her eyebrows, slightly surprised. "I figured you’d forgotten."
Terrence snorted. "I was busy finalizing the deal here. He can wait. You come first."
Even though she knew that was a partial lie- Terrence had cared far more about buying his race track than he had about this warehouse, Wendy still smiled graciously. "Thats sweet of you, Terry," she said.
"Yeah, well, happy birthday, Wendy," Terrence said, putting his arms around her. Wendy smiled as she felt her daughter hug her waist was well.
"Yeah, happy birthday, Mom."
"Thank you both"
They pulled apart, and stood next to each other, arms around each others shoulders, looking at the empty building,
"Well, I guess we're both going to have a lot of work to do." Wendy said.
"Yup. A track to refurbish, and a gym to build. And once youre done, you wont have to deal with Muffy ever again."
"Thatd be the best present anyone could EVER give me," Wendy grinned.
"And when you're done here, you could even open up your own gym! Or, even better, a wrestling school!"
The glare that she turned on him was one that could have melted through the shed's metal walls, and Terrence quickly backpedaled, waving his arms as if to ward her off.
"Sheesh. I was KIDDING!"
===============
Saturday May 25, 2013
Barclay’s Center- Exterior
New York City, New York
4:17 PM Local Time
Less than a year in operation, the Barclay’s Center is a shining beacon of modernism nestled in with the much older brick buildings of Brooklyn, New York. We’re just outside the arena, in the Oculus, a rather unique structure on the side of the arena with LED screens. Wendy is sitting underneath the Oculus, on a bench that has been positioned so that she is in the shade. She’s dressed casually, in a buttoned blouse and jeans, not quite ready to slip into her ring gear yet.
“Finally here at the Barclays Center. I have to say... it’s been a heck of a week to get here. Heck it’s been a heck of a two months. I came back at Chaos Theory. Got back in the ring right here in this beautiful city, in Central Park no less. Then I got to main event in my own hometown and beat a former FFW Champion. And then, just this Monday, I found out that the ring I normally was out, and was in a bit of a bind until...”
Wendy smiles, and shakes her head, chuckling.
“Well, I’ll say this. You can say what you will about my manager, and I know he’s certainly gotten on the bad side of more than a few of my colleagues. But when you’re in a pinch, not too many people can come through like he does. I had a ring by Tuesday, and I’ve been working hard all the way up to when I caught my flight to La Guardia. It’s been a bumpy ride this week, doing that musical and all, but I’m here, and I’m ready. “
“Am I nervous? Yeah, a little. Not so much as I was before Byte This or Breaking Point, though. I think once you get back in the swing of things, nab a couple wins under your belt, it gets a bit easier. Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that TONIGHT, the pressure is entirely on me. I was the one who called out the Power Trip. I was the one who demanded a match. I was the one who said ‘pick anybody and send them down, and I’ll beat them’. And, like the billing for this match says... it’s time for me to put up or shut up.”
Wendy bites her lip, grimacing.
“I normally don’t like guaranteeing victories. There’s just too much that can go wrong in this sport for you to do that, and one misstep, and you end up with egg on your face. But you know what? Sometimes you have to cut the safety net. Sometimes you have to put your reputation and credibility on the line to make a point. And this is one of those times I have to do it. Because after watching what those people did to this company in the past few months, I have to fight and beat one of them.”
“And I’ll be honest... I was a bit disappointed when first Isabella told me that I was facing Jodie. It’s got nothing to do with her talent, or where she is on the card, or anything regarding ability. She’s shown time and again she’s a good wrestler. There’s no question about that. It’s just... maybe it’s just me... but it’s kind of easy to forget that Jodie IS a member of the Power Trip sometimes.”
A small shrug.
“Unless there’s something to be directly gained from it, like, y’know, being in a pay-per-view main event, you don’t see Jodie flying the flag too much. She’d clearly rather spend her time with her wrestling school buddies than she does with the rest of the Power Trip, to the point that you get members of the Power Trip questioning her loyalties publicly on Twitter. Lord knows what they’re thinking behind closed doors. Heck, maybe that’s why Isabella ‘fed’ her to me... either as some kind of test, or cannon fodder. Although we’ll get to all that in a second.”
“The more I think about it though... the more I realize it doesn’t matter. Wherever her loyalties ultimately lie, Jodie’s officially Power Trip. The billing says she’s Power Trip. The fans think she’s Power Trip. So if I want to fight someone from the Power Trip, and she’s the one available, then let’s get it on. Wherever her loyalties play out afterwards is no concern of mine.”
Wendy looks up at the Oculus screen above, her, and lets out a small sigh.
“So here we are, Wendy versus Jodie. THe 2011 Breakout star of the Year against the 2012. Once I found out this match was going to happen, my family and friends have actually been betting each other on which gaming reference Jodie was going to throw out. Apparently, there aren’t that many ‘Wendys’ in video games, and Theresa was thinking Wendy O’Koopa from the Mario series, while Terrence got his money on Wendy Ryan from Psychic Force, while Pollaski bet that whatever it is, it’ll be from either Batman or Pokemon, because that’s all Jodie ever references.”
Wendy snorts in amusement.
“Looks like Pollaski won there. But ultimately... heh, I’d rather be compared to some ugly psychotic shrill female turtle than what I ultimately ended up seeing from these ‘v-logs’, or whatever they’re called.”
Wendy shakes her head and rubs the bridge of her nose, almost chuckling in her bemusment.
“I mean... I don’t even know where to BEGIN here.”
“When I saw ‘Road to Relentless’, my musical mind immediately thought that we might see something along the lines of the old, great, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope travel buddy musicals. Or at least scenes of her preparing herself, both physically and mentally for our match. Instead, we get her at various locations around New York, WHINING about how horrible she gets treated.”
“I guess I can start by saying this ALL looks a little bit TOO much familiar here. I could have SWORN not too long ago I had another match against another member of one of Samantha Star’s little power cliques. Come to think of it, she ALSO was a Future Shock graduate who came into FFW as a somewhat likeable fan favorite, but within months had completely changed her tune, joined up with Samantha, and became a snotty little brat. And then and then both of them get a match with me, and call me out for being a big fat phony who only PRETENDS to be nice.”
Wendy rolls her eyes, clearly annoyed.
“Yes, ladies and gentlemen. Jodie Gray IS the Power Trip’s spiritual successor of Jo McFarlane from the A-List. Heck, they even both dug up a tag match that happened years ago in another company that MAYBE 5% of FFW fans ever saw in some desperate attempt to claim I cheat. So here’s an idea, since Jodie is suddenly so interested in history- she should go as Jo how that all ended up working out.”
“Of course, I have the added bonus here of being the one BLAMED for Jodie’s sudden turn to the dark side. All because I apparently didn’t hold her hand and save her from all the evil critics in the world... but we’re going to get to that later.”
“Because before we get ANY further, let me just point out that JUST like it was with Jo, all this is a bunch of bunk. The only difference is that I actually believe Jo really, truly believed what she was saying at the time, while with Jodie...”
Wendy can’t help but laugh, and shake her head at the incredulity of it all.
“At the risk of being graphic here, Jodie Gray is more full of dung than a compost heap in August. The woman is either a habitual liar, or has absolutely zero grasp on reality.”
“She likes video game references, so let me throw one out here. I know this, because Terrence and Pollaski play Dynasty Warriors AD NAUSEUM, and I’m honestly dreading July when the next one comes out. Anyways... there’s this character in the game.. Zhuge Liang. Every time you beat him, he spouts off a line about how this was ALL a part of his plan, and retreats. The boys even joke about it while they’re playing. I’ll admit, it’s kind of funny to think about.”
“But with Jodie... its not really that funny. It’s more sad and pathetic, but we’re seeing it. She wants to pretend that EVERYTHING is going according to her plan, when the truth is... I don’t think she even HAS a plan. The woman seems to change her tune so much she’s like a human MP3 player. And we just saw it so blatantly with Kinsey. Jodie spent weeks spreading LIES about her, to the point that Kinsey... think about that... KINSEY ROBINSON, who seems like one of the sweetest girls in the company, wanted to rip her head off. And honestly, she nearly did just that. And after the dust settled?”
“Jodie claimed that she was just trying to motivate Kinsey. Even though Kinsey clearly didn’t need much motivation. Because she was the Queen of Games, and that’s what she did. You know, it’s one thing to lie, but when you insult everyone’s intelligence by expecting us to swallow such unmitigated BULL, well... there’s something seriously wrong with you.”
Wendy takes a deep breath, and exhales, coupling it with another eyeroll.
“So no, I don’t believe for a second this whole ‘broken idol’ story that Jodie has concocted. Just like she did with Kinsey, she’s simply making up stuff as she goes along to make her look better. But what she fails to realize, everything she says is so farfetched. For instance, if I was her idol... how come she never ONCE did anything to initiate a relationship with me? I don’t think I’m unapproachable, and yet, before I was set against her for Conviction we’ve barely ever talked. And if she wanted my, ahem, ‘help’, why wouldn’t she, y’know... ASK for it?”
“Because, like I said, she’s lying. She’s basically throwing deus ex machina’s into her own version of continuity, simply for the sake of looking better. I also don’t believe for a second that she’s spent the last month being told by the entire human race that I’m going to steamroll her, either. I’ve actually NEVER seen a wrestler to go so far out of her way to play the victim. It’s almost amusing, if it weren’t so pathetic.”
“I don’t even believe Jodie actually asked for this match. If Jodie wanted to, what was it... ‘rip the mask off me’... she had that chance at Chaos Theory. She could have nipped the ‘Wendy problem’ in the bud right then and there, and she didn’t. Obviously, I can’t prove this... I’m not exactly on speaking terms with Isabella, and I doubt she’s going to publicly gainsay a member of the Power Trip. But again, everything Jodie let’s out seems just a bit TOO convenient, especially considering the “IM BEING FED TO WENDY” meltdown we all got earlier. Now suddenly, it’s her idea, because Jodie found out the hard way what trying to play the pathetic victim gets you in terms of respect around here. She’s played so fast and loose with the truth every time she talks, you just have to assume she’s doing it now. You keep crying wolf over and over, the villagers stop listening to your wails, right?”
A slight nod.
“It’s easy to see WHY she keeps doing it too. She’s created this whole ‘Queen of Games’ persona, trying to present herself as a chessmaster who manipulates people, either for advantage or amusement. Of course, the whole thing unravelled MONTHS ago. Jodie’s proven time and again that she’s a pawn in this game, not the player she so wants to desperately say she is. She was a tagalong at Chaos Theory, and she REFUSED to take any sense of leadership at any point in the match that night. She was just... there. What kind of Chessmaster allows themselves to become such a non-entity, especially when its her biggest opportunity ever to stand out?”
“She’s a pawn here, too. I made a move, made an open challenge to the Power Trip. And Isabella picked her right up, and put her into my way. Of COURSE Jodie doesn’t want us to believe that. That this was all her idea. It wasn’t. It’s all just an attempt to make her look like she’s got some semblance of control here, when she doesn’t.”
Wendy pauses, and shakes her head, laughing.
“Of course, I suppose now Jodie’s just going to say that she intended ALL ALONG that no one would believe her, because she’s a psychological master like that.”
“So since Jodie’s lied so much that you don’t know what’s going on... what is the truth, exactly?”
“Well, for starters. While I don’t believe for a second that Jodie has spent the last month listening to everyone tell her it... she IS being fed to me.”
Wendy slightly raises her eyebrows, as if to say ‘you’re really surprised’
“At least in Isabella’s mind. I was almost taken aback at how... dismissive Isabella was about the entire situation when I ran into her at Breaking Point. I helped put her entire faction on the run at Chaos Theory, you know she’s not about to let something like this stand. I’ve been in the Power Trip’s crosshairs for the better part of a year now. And all I get is a shrug and a ‘Oh, by the way, you’re facing Jodie’?”
“Then I realized it for what it truly was. Isabella Pazzini is not a stupid woman, and what she did... it’s actually brilliant, because, at least where I’m concerned, she put herself in a no-lose situation. Wendy wants to fight a member of the Power Trip? Alright, give her Jodie. Wendy still gets to fight a Power Trip member, so she’s happy, and doesn’t bother the rest of them for a while. And when she beats Jodie, it’s not like the rest of the group will lose much face, because Jodie’s almost universally considered the weakest member by the fans, and not exactly considered to be part of the inner circle. And if, by some miracle, Jodie DOES win, then Wendy’s publicly humiliated and out of their hair for a good while.”
“I hope Jodie’s taking notes here, because THAT is how a true Chessmaster works. I’ll give the devil her due, Isabella’s one of the most adept there is at moving pieces on the board, perhaps second in this company only to Samantha Star herself. Unlike Jodie, she is actually capable of fooling people beyond a simple craven cheating tactic mid match.”
“But unfortunately for Jodie... just because I’m savvy enough to understand the TRUE games that are being played around here, it doesn’t mean I take them at face value. She might be the sacrificial lamb in Isabella’s eyes, but I know she’s one dangerous little lamb, with teeth, claws... and a ‘Hand of God’. So even if she IS being fed to me by her Power Trip sisters... I’m still going to have to sing for my supper, so to speak. There are no gimme matches in FFW. This one is no exception. So she should stop insulting my intelligence by acting like I’m going to assume it is one.”
“Then again... insulting people’s intelligence seems to be her modus operandi around here. I’m not all that into video games and comic books, but I’m pretty sure there’s more to the mediums than Pokemon and Batman, but oddly... like Pollaski mentioned to me, those tend to be the only two things Jodie... who’s supposedly this great ‘nerd queen’... ever references. It’d probably explain why most of our... pardon me... ‘nerd fans’ seem to reject her and are far more into supporting Jennifer Williams or Eileen Amaro, both of whom can throw out reference from pretty much anywhere and seem far more... legitimate.”
Wendy finishes, looking almost guilty, although there is a sheepish smile on her face.
“Sorry, I suppose that’s nitpicking a bit there. But it just always made me wonder why Jodie seems to have such a... limited scope of the culture compared to her more likeable counterparts. But I suppose it’s not my place to be checking people’s ‘nerd cred’.”
“But it all factors into the second basic truth here, and that is Jodie is little more than a chameleon, just like Crystal Hilton tends to be. Jodie almost takes it to an insidious level, but the name of the game remains the same, ultimately. Jodie simply changes her colors to what she thinks will be best for her. This week, she’s pitiful and vengeful. Against Kinsey, she was jaded and bitter. Against Gigante, she was arrogant. In the Ten Femme Chaos match, she played the Golden Apple of Discord. And it goes ALL the way back.”
“Jodie likes to go on and on and on about how she became who she is because people were ‘mean’ to her. She tried to be nice but people like Mel and Leo were just so mean to her, that she abandoned the facade!”
“Except, two things... first... Jodie’s NEVER abandoned her facade. She simply changed it. There hasn’t been a moment in that girl’s career when she wasn’t surrounded by at least multiple levels of pretense. Her next opponent, it will all change again, and she’ll have something else. I suppose you could say it’s that psychological manipulation she’s apparently so great at... but looking at things it hasn’t done her a whole lot of good in the long run.”
Wendy snorts, and shakes her head.
“Second... does anyone here remember WHY Mel and Leo kept dogging on her, and calling her out? It’s because... they thought she was a FAKE. Heck, when Future Shock started, she went so far as to pretend she didn’t know what she was doing... until the match started and she suddenly looked VERY competent. And Jodie even ADMITS it HERSELF, because she says she was “acting like the good girl”. She was playing a role. And now she’s bitter because people SAW THROUGH IT?”
“Well, golly GEE, Jodie Gray. There’s your PROBLEM!”
“Maybe, just MAYBE, if Jodie actually stopped to think for six seconds, figured out who she was, and ACTED LIKE HERSELF, and NOT like ANYONE else... she wouldn’t have had these difficulties. But ultimately, the great psychological mistress who thinks she toys with everyone else’s emotions can’t even FIGURE OUT HER OWN.”
“Instead we get this snivelling, ‘I tried to be good and all, and I acted really nice, and I thought people would like me, but they didn’t, and Wendy wouldn’t hold my hand, and people were really mean, my skin’s so thin I couldn’t handle it, and now I’m mean and’... oh for God sakes, I’m starting to nauseate MYSELF.
Wendy scoffs in derision, shaking her head. She takes a deep breath, and shakes her head.
“And that ultimately brings us to the third, and most fatal truth about Jodie Gray. She’s all about image over substance.”
“If you have a moment, go to femmefatalewrestling.com, and check out my roster page. Then look at hers. Notice the difference?”
“Mine just says ‘Wendy Briese’. Because that’s simply who I am. But Jodie’s says ‘Queen of Games’. Because that’s who she wants us to think she is. Neverminding that her gaming knowledge seems awfully limited outside of Pokemon, or her machinations are ineffective at best, and completely counterproductive at worst, like what we saw in Kinsey’s case. We keep hearing about it... but we never actually see it. But nevermind that, she IS the Queen, and she will fool us all with her mind games, because she SAID so! In the literary world, they call that an ‘informed ability’.”
“I think Jodie believes that since she puts a huge steaming pile of horsepucky on a plate, and serves it to us expecting everyone to lap it up, that the rest of us all do the same thing. That Femme Fatale Wrestling, or even the entires world, is all one giant dung buffet, with each of us feeding each other, and everyone’s just expected to eat what’s served, and like it.”
Wendy scrunches up her nose, looking fairly disgusted at the analogy.
“Reality proves that in essence, Jodie has absolutely no clue what she’s talking about. For better or for worse, the vast majority of the FFW roster is TRUE to themselves. I know Eileen is. I know Valerie is. I know Hayley and Ignis are. Even some of the people in the Power Trip are, including Tara, and, dare I say it, Isabella. What you see from them is ultimately what you get.”
“And its the same with me as well. I might hold my tongue once in a while, and maybe I’ll even tell a white lie now and then, but by and large, what you see from me here is what you see from me at home.”
“I think of myself as a generally likeable person, and I think I get along with most people. If that means I’m ‘The Nice Girl’, okay. But I don’t think I’m being very nice right NOW. I don’t think I’ve been all that nice to Katherine Stryfe, or Crystal Hilton, and for good reason, in my opinion. But Jodie’s got it in her mind that since 90% of the time I fit into her mentality of a ‘Nice Girl’ persona, whenever I break from it, I’m suddenly a hypocrite.”
“Well, surprise. I’m opinionated, and if I think something is wrong, I’m not going to keep quiet. Speaking up about stuff is JUDGEMENTAL, and we can’t be THAT this day and age, because we might hurt someone’s FEELINGS. I also have a temper, as my friends and family can attest to. I have limits to my patience, and they can be snapped, like say, when I have to listen to uninformed diatribes by insane little girls who don’t know much about anything. And there’s some people in this world that I just don’t like, and I don’t think any of them would call me very friendly towards them.”
“And I certainly don’t think anyone I’ve ever been in the ring with would ever say I’m much of a nice person there...”
Wendy quickly flashes a grin.
“And I know I make a lot of mistakes, but ultimately I try to do what’s best for my family, my friends, my company, my sport, and myself, and some people get in their minds that me doing that somehow makes me a ‘White Knight’. But its just another persona that people like Jodie try to shoebox me into when I do fit, and then scream and cry HYPOCRITE when I don’t, because their minds can’t comprehend anything outside the precut templates they make for themselves.”
Wendy spreads her arms wide, gesturing to herself, and smiles crookedly.
“This is me, its who I am, and I don’t need to hide any of it. My triumphs and sorrows, my virtues and vices, my assets and liabilities, and my accomplishments and shortfalls. For better or for worse, and believe me, there is a HEALTHY mix of those in here. But it’s who I am, and I have no need to say otherwise.”
“Jodie of course doesn’t understand that. Everything has to be pre-packaged up for her in a nice little box, so she can tie a cute little quote to it and drop it as a soundbite.”
“Actually, there’s a lot Jodie doesn’t understand. For thinking she’s so manipulative... she sure lacks any understanding of basic human psychology.”
Wendy nods. It’s true, it’s true.
“She doesn’t understand that most people can tell when you’re trying to manufacture an emotion. When you’re on screen in the middle of the night wearing masks talking about how horrible you’ve had it and then start trying to cry, people will reject it as camp drama, especially if they’ve been following along and know how much of it you’ve brought upon yourself. But in her mind, all she has to do is conjure up some wild theatrics and a contrived story to make me look like a horrible person, and here come the water works. It’s hammy, and gag inducing. Which is fine, because Jodie is sure to mention that can’t keep solid food down, because being on the verge of vomiting makes EVERYONE know she’s taking things seriously!”
“She also doesn’t understand basic the nature of human competition, or why people are so fascinated by it. Competition, especially physical ones like wrestling, football, and basketball, breed interest simply because people, can follow along and choose sides. You don’t NEED over the top violence. You don’t NEED a whole bunch of gimmicks and contrived backstories. You just need two competing sides, a good reason for them to even have conflict, and a playing medium that people can understand.”
“I mean, look at the Super Bowl, or the UEFA Champions League Final, the two most watched events of the annual sporting calendar. I don’t see much blatant cheating going on. I don’t see much over the top villiany. And yet, people still watch, because the enjoy watching the game, and they legitimately care about at least some of the factors involved.”
Wendy gives a slightly sarcastic smile, as if she’s genuinely astonished that no one can comprehend this.
“Why can’t professional wrestling be any different? Well, actually, it IS no different. All you need are two women, a ring, and a compelling reason for them to face, whether it’s a grudge, a title, or just straight up pride on the line. It’s great television, and our ratings show it. And if the only way Jodie can make herself compelling is by acting like a complete delusional idiot who’s best at kicking other women in the crotch, that’s a shame, because there are MANY women in this company who certainly don’t need to do that.”
“Right, and now I’m sure we’ll get another caps-lock laden rant about how I’m insulting her by saying she’s a delusional idiot who doesn’t understand anything about this business. Facts are facts, and despite her considerable talent, accomplishments, and longevity, she doesn’t”
Wendy crosses her legs. She’s been sitting there so long, she’s gotta fidget a little.
“I’m actually amazed how long she’s lasted in this company, considering how fragile her psyche is. You need thick skin in this business, both literally and figuratively, and Jodie certainly doesn’t have it in the latter. I’ve taken FAR worse flak in my life than Jodie’s ever received, or given, for that matter, and yeah, it’s dang tough sometimes, but you have to learn how to cope with it. Throwing shrill tantrums on Twitter... over the TAMEST of insults, to boot... just wow. In reality, that’s just inviting to make it worse, because your critics then know they’re getting to you.”
“The kicker though, is got to be the rant we just heard. Kinsey mentions that Jodie was unable to beat Misty within the time-limit, and all of a sudden we’re treated with A Comprehensive and Complete History of Draws and No Contests in Professional Wrestling. Because being reminded you wrestled to a DRAW is the absolute end-all be-all can’t recover from INSULT in Pro Wrestling! The cherry on top is that this is then somehow applied to me, because apparently whatever Kinsey says, I must also think.”
“If Jodie is using logic as a weapon, she might want to check her ammo. I think she ran out a while ago.”
Wendy actually facepalms here, but she tries to pass it off as rubbing her eyes.
“So I guess, bravo, Isabella. I wanted a fight against one of the Power Trip, and I end up with one against a crackpot emotional headcase trainwreck who you’re using as a throwaway to keep me busy. Well played, I suppose. Certainly a case of ‘be careful what you ask for,’ isn’t it?”
Wendy leans forward, her eyes narrowing.
“As far as you go, Jodie, Don’t think that because I don’t buy any of your act for a second doesn’t mean I’m taking you lightly. Does it LOOK like I’ve been taking you lightly? But that’s the hope you’re going for, isn’t it? Because you’ve already seen from Starla and Tara what happens when I’m going full throttle, and you know what’s going to happen if I do the same to you. Heck, you’d have experienced it yourself two months ago, had you not bailed out of the ring. And let’s just be honest, Jodie, the only card you seem to be able to play in your big ‘mind-master’ deck is the one that inspires people to want to beat the snot out of you. Not put them into blind rage so that they make mistakes, but inspire them to wrestle the best match of their lives, and put you down, because no one can STAND your neurotic, whiny self.”
“And either way, I MADE this open challenge, and I fully plan on seeing it through to the end, no matter who got put forth, and why. Because while this might have gotten personal for you sometime around 1:00 yesterday afternoon, this deal has been personal for me since the Power Trip formed, and even before that with the A-List.”
“And whatever else you are Jodie, YOU ARE Power Trip. And YOU ARE facing me tonight. YOU ARE a target. And YOU ARE first.”
“And ultimately, when it’s all said and done... YOUR GAME will be UP!”
Wendy gets out of her chair, smooths her clothes out, and starts walking into the arena. The scene fades.
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