Wendy Briese bit her lower lip as she looked over the Storm Shelter, tucking a loose strand of red hair under the scarf she had tied around her head. The converted shed was about forty feet long by twenty feet wide- eight hundred square feet of ring, training equipment, viewing room, and changing room. She looked down to the small broom in her hand, and over at the old Hoover vacuum she had found in the basement. She had no idea they’d even HAD another vacuum. Perhaps the previous owners had left it there when they vacated the house.
Nine years ago…
“Maybe I should look into a cleaning service,” the redhead muttered, shaking her head as she began to sweep up the dust on the floor. At least she could get something done before her guests showed up, so that the gym looked somewhat presentable. In truth, considering the facility was brand newly renovated, there was hardly much that needed to be clean, but still, the floor was noticeably dirty in spots. She hadn’t had much time for sweeping as of late.
She had managed to get a good start- at least around the cardio equipment along the wall, when the door to the shed opened, and in walked Penny Buchanan. The big texan was clad in a simple t-shirt and jean shorts, combat boots and her long dark locks held back with a white bandana. “Or several.” Penny piped up with a smirk, looking around as if inspecting the place...albeit in a rather friendly manner.
“Hey, Penny,” Wendy said, setting her broom against the wall, brushing off her hands before reaching out and clasping Penny’s. “I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding us. I know we’re a bit… out of the way.”
“Got a bit turned ‘round a mile back, but found it easy ‘nuff.” The big Texan shakes Wendy’s hand with a grin as she takes a look around. “So this is it, huh? Quite a space ya got here, Red.” Penny patted Wendy’s arm solidly with a chuckle.
“Thanks,” Wendy said, looking around. “I’m amazed at how nice it ended up turning out. It’s just nice to have your own wrestling dedicated facility, you know? It’s not like Vegas where you can get a combat-quality gym on every other street,” she said with a small smile, glancing over at the wall in annoyance as her broom fell over. “Did Lyn come with you?” she asked, hopping up to sit on the ring apron. “Or do you know when he’ll be here? Or even why he wanted to talk to us?”
“...Now this,” A male voice echoed behind them, full of admiration rang out. “This is what a facility should look like.” Lyn Dallins had seemingly snuck in from the entrance and taken himself on a tour around the facility that had once been nothing more than an overlarge shed. He strolled around in heavy sweats and ran his fingers along the inner bend of handlebars for a exercise bike.
“What is this, the 2012 model? Very nice. Been meaning to order new stuff for the gym down in Tampa. Didn’t realize it looked so... Slick.”
“And maybe add a bell for the door,” Wendy muttered, but she was smiling as she approached the former Defiance champion, giving him a quick hug. “Good to see you, Lyn.”
Penny smirked as she looked around with her hands on her hips, walking away from Wendy and Lyn for a moment. “Least you got a facility. I learned by trial an’ error. Which punches you can take, which ya need to dodge...would’a killed fer a place like this...” She held her hands out at the space, still being worked on. “Even just as is.” The Texan amazon shook her head with a laugh, turning back around to face them. “You sure yer ready fer this, Red?”
“Well, I just got the place,” Wendy reminded the auburn-haired brawler with a smile. “Trust me, some of the places I trained in on the road…” she shuddered. “I actually got a loyalty card from Proctor and Gamble for all the disinfectant I used to buy.”
“...So does Colleen. Look, don’t ask.” Lyn noted as he returned Wendy’s hug before offering Penny a high-five. “Alright so I wanted to talk to you both because one of you will be teaming up with our favorite tag team darlings come Breaking Point in Tokyo, and the other had spent some time teaching them the ropes along with our Evolution Champion for Future Shock. Have either of you any idea what Sunny or Stephanie have gotten up to since beginning their FFW careers?”
Lyn paused. “Besides selling the Hydeout.”
Wendy had opened her mouth, but with Lyn’s addendum, shut it again. She could do naught but shrug, shaking her head.
“Been a bit busy myself, but yeah seems the girlies done sold the Hydeout. Workin’ on somethin’ that is more to their hearts...or somethin’.” Penny just shrugged, crossing her arms. “Worked a lot with Steph, trainin’ her for Future Shock. But afterwards we’ve both been busy, ‘side from gettin’ her help with a little work-related shoppin’ an’ such I ain’t got much in the way of knowledge ‘bout that otherwise.”
Lyn looked back between the FFW and Ultraviolence champions before he gripped the bridge of his nose. “Alright, uh... Let me try and summarize this as best as I can. Steph sold the Hydeout to buy out a large facility somewhere near Tampa. Together She and Sunny plan to give back to the wrestling community. From what I understand it’s something of a... Persona development facility. They want to create a place where up and coming wrestlers can become something more than just a churned out student of whatever wrestling gym they come from. She wants and I believe Sunny wants as well to cut out the middle man of young wrestlers finding themselves and who they are via going from indy fed to indy fed, traveling, and so on.”
“Now perhaps I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill,” he offered before the King of Submissions took a brusque tone. “But the last time I checked, wrestlers were never in need of acting coaches or classes on public speaking or turning wrestling into a glorified play. I honestly don’t know where the ideas popped into their head but I had a chance to see the facility and I’m still not sure what to make of it. I mean have either of you ever needed an acting coach? Did you ever need someone to tell you that you were “The White Knight” or “The Pain Train”? God knows I didn’t need someone to say ‘Hey buddy. You’re the King of Submissions now. Congrats. Here’s a crown’.”
“Well, Leo DID say I was the White Knight and the name kind of just… stuck,” Wendy said with a shrug. “But you’re right, Lyn. I don’t get it either, and I AM an actress… or at least I used to be. It’s hard enough just wrestling. I don’t see the point of trying to enact some ‘persona’ as you do it. Talk about splitting your concentration.”
Penny was mostly quiet during this, never one for such details about wrestling. She was a fighter, just so happens that blended with wrestling nicely. “Armor.” Penny said softly, her voice a bit more timid than normal. “And times change. When y’all started things, were they just like they are now? From what I gather it ain’t always been this easy to contact others, to support’em...to belittle’em. You wrestled, you traveled, ya lather rinse repeat...right?”
“Well, there was a time before Twitter, when you never really talked to your colleagues outside of shows, unless you were really good friends or.. dating them,” Wendy said, chuckling. “It’s both a good thing and a bad thing. But you never knew how anyone else was at home. I just figured they were the same way they were at the shows… which, when you thought about it, is kind of a scary thought.”
Lyn frowned. “Nowadays you come to find out a lot of people aren’t like anything they’re like at shows. I mean some of us are and then again some of us are not. I mean Wendy and I--” the King of Submissions paused and seemed to remember a lesson he was taught long ago before he cleared his throat. “I mean to say, I’m quite old in this business. It just seems kinda weird to me to have some sort of... ‘character’ you find yourself sticking to as far as I understand it is. Maybe I’m missing something here, maybe I’m coming a bit too hard on it... I do admit I like the idea of students being taught to be different from their wrestling gym teachers, forging their own paths...”
“Thing is, times change. Whether technology, art, music, T.V. an’ wrestlin’. It evolves, nowadays ya can’t post a tweet ‘bout you wantin’ to watch a movie without someone bein’ able to strip ya down on a social media. I experienced this first hand with Payton an’ Mika, but I got thick skin. When yer a green eared rookie, how ya deal with that kind’a mind games an’ abuse? Look at Misty, Kate, any’a the younger cast.” Penny huffed, taking in a deep breath. Talking about this made her want a smoke, then again she was trying to cut down so here she stood fighting the urge. “Maybe Steph an’ Sunny wanna help with that?”
“Perhaps you might be right. I mean with social media it just offers a new venue to piss and abuse your opponents besides in ring and interviews. I suppose knowing who you are and want to be off the bat could help with that but... Eh, it just doesn’t seem ‘right’. I don’t meant to sound like I’m completely against the idea but...” Lyn trailed off.
“You wonder what the heck she’s thinking by opening this can of worms,” Wendy said bluntly.
Penny sniffed, adjusting her bandana. “Maybe ya gotta ask her ‘bout that. I know for one to trust Steph, an’ Sunny. They’re new to bein’ wrestlers, but they ain’t new to wrestling.”
“Yeah, but there’s a huge difference between being AROUND it, and being in that ring,” Wendy said, grimacing. “And at this stage of their careers, they can’t possibly be where they want to be in the ring. They need to focus on that before they start thinking about all the… novelties.”
Penny shot Wendy a bit of a look. “Ya think they don’t know what they’re doin’? That they’re divin’ into what they don’t understand? Maybe..” Penny let out a sigh. “Or maybe they’re thinkin’ outside the box. I got my nickname, this whole “gimmick” by crushin’ some girl against the wood wall of the pit we fought in. Some people need help, it always so easy. God knows I’d have killed to have someone help me wrap my head ‘round shit like this when I started fightin’...then again when I started there were no head games. Just skulls bein’ cracked.”
“That’s the way it SHOULD be,” Wendy muttered, then blinked. “I mean no head games. Not cracking skulls. But you’ve been quiet, Lyn. What do you think?”
“...” Lyn intertwined his fingers together as he sat on the edge on the apron and pressed his elbows against his knees. His chin sat on the bridge of his fingers and he hadn’t moved from the position since. “We’ve all gotten our nicknames everywhere. You could make the argument that it wasn’t the three of us who chose our nicknames. It was the nicknames that chose us. That make any sense? I’m not going to disagree that this is something... New and maybe even something needed but... Wait.”
The King of Submissions turned to Wendy as though he’d just realized something before he stole a glance at Penny. “Wendy, why don’t you take a tour of the facility? You’re the one who will be teaming with them soon. You’re FFW Champ and all. Perhaps you can offer a bit of... What’s the word I’m looking for... Perspective?”
Wendy bit her lip, her mind racing. She seemed to be counting something on her fingers, before finally taking a deep breath. “I could do that, I think. We can swing to Tampa and then fly to Tokyo from there. I’m actually curious now.”
“So then there you go,” he offered. “I’m not denying that maybe it wasn’t something that was needed but at the same time I almost feel like its coddling. I mean would either of you trade your experiences for where they’ve gotten you?”
Penny stands quiet, arms crossed as she listens to the two of them go back and forth. “I would, but then again I love where I am now. But that’s not the same. I would’a killed to get someone to help me, not just hand me a wad’a cash an’ a smack on the ass an’ send me on my way.”
“I wouldn’t have traded…” Wendy finally said, almost surprised at herself with the answer. “But I still just don’t see…” she sighed. “I suppose I just better see it for myself before I pass judgement.”
He looked between both women and let out a sigh. “Well then let’s reserve judgment until then.”
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