Aftershock Therapy ~Spoilers/02A~

[darkstarr]

~__Time lapsed to take place after this.__~


"God I hate my life..."

__Downtown Chicago~Local Cafe__

"I really.. really do."

Becca blows the steam coming up from the hot cup of coffee away as she stares out at traffic in a busy downtown Chicago. Freshly back from South Carolina, and pissed off naturally. She had actually lost to that pint sized little girl known as Isadora. Training finished or not, losing to someone that much smaller and weaker than herself was a real blow to Becca's self pride. Either way she got paid, so it worked out. Bought herself a new outfit, managed to buy the wrestling outfit from the booker at CWA. Just in case you know... Becca was wearing part of the new outfit she had bought with the new win fall of money she had managed to pick up from CWA, regardless of winning or not. A nice pink and white stripped hoodie sweater with Navy blue denim jeans reaching halfway down brand new black and pink sketchers. She wasn't dressing to impress by any stretch of the means, she just wanted to feel comfortable after feeling so cheap for so long. Not to mention it was kind of cold outside, the sweater was coming in handy.

"Hi again ma'am, can I get you anything else this afternoon?"

"Actually...

Do you guys have anything to eat?"

"Of course we do ma'am, would you like to hear the daily special? Perhaps you'd like to take a look at one of our menus?"

"Menus...

Wait a second, why do you have menus? It's a cafe it's not a restaurant right? I thought only big places with fake tropical plants in every corner with bad lighting every which way you look, and artificial waterfalls in the backround had menus and stuff."

"Ma'am this is the 21st century. McDonald's has a menu. Starbucks has a menu, there are pretzel joints in malls that have menus."

"Alright alright I get the point... fuck..

Yeah I'll look at one of them."

Becca gets handed a menu, a menu at a cafe. One at which, she is sitting in the outside fresh air save me from the bad cologne section. She takes a look over it closely, she was kinda hungry. Make that very hungry. Burning up all of that energy did a couple things to Becca, it drained her so much she had to be woken up by one of the train attendants on the way back to Chicago. Now two, it made her feel like she could eat a horse if it was available to be cut up and stir fried in some cute little oriental way. Looking over a couple items Becca's eyes stop on one and zoom in a bit. She reads the description carefully before closing the menu and handing it back to the... little, waiter guy.... bell boy? Whatever the hell his job is.

"Yeah... I'd like one of those shrimp cocktails please...."

"Right away ma'am."

Becca runs her fingers through her hair slowly as she takes in a nice big deep breath of the cold Chicago air. Her actions after the match had amazed her, yet didn't exactly feel.... wrong. Resting her arms on the table she crosses them and lets her head press down on them, slowly moving her face up so her chin ends up resting on her arms. Becca was tired and exhausted, almost dead as far as energy goes. Still slightly angry and now hungry, she simply watches traffic and people go by as she waits for her shrimp cocktail.

"I really....

hate my life."

[<~The Shooting Starr~>]

Meanwhile, outside...

Passing by the same cafe the wandering, lost soul, Dez stumbles by, trying to locate anyone, or anywhere, that screams out "New Chicago Wrestling Organization".

A member of the female persuasion catches his eye as he walks by. She's got her head resting on her hands, elbows on the table, gazing out and lost in thought.

He argues with himself in his head whether to go in or not, and eventually he does. Taking a seat 2 tables over, but within distance that he can actually smell her if he wanted or needed to.

Was it perfume?
No
Wrestling.. she smelled of wrestling. He knew the smell al to well, as it's hard to cover up on most nights. Tonight.. wasn't a night that worked for her.

Excuse me, you look very familiar. You wouldn't happen to be a wrestler here in Chicago would you?

What had he done? He didn't want say that outloud. He was thinking it, not saying it. Did she hear him though? Perhaps. If she did, maybe she could shed some light on the current situation. Maybe she can point him in the right direction anyways.

BUT now.. he waits

[darkstarr]

".... God?..."

Becca looks up to the sky looming overhead. Was that... the voice of....? ... Naaaah. She must have gotten hit to hard by that little runt back in South Carolina. She yawns a bit, like Sylvester after finally catching that bastard canary Tweety. After stretching her arms a bit, she looks around and figures out the voice was from another person, not a divine force from above. She blinks and leans her head forward, almost to confirm he was talking to her. A wrestler? Uh...

"... Me?

Well I.... not exactly.. I don't think, anyway. Yet.... maybe, so uh... who wants to know exactly? Who're you?..."

Becca was a bit off on the tired side in case you didn't catch all that. The snooty fast witted little boy from earlier comes back with her shrimp cocktail, she looks at him for a moment. Then looks at the cocktail, she looks back up at him and motions her hands off in a sweeping motion. You delivered the food, go. She takes a look back over to the more than suspect looking man who had asked her a, out of the blue question.

"Why? Do I look like someone you happen to know?"

[<~The Shooting Starr~>]

Sorry, my name is Desmond. Dez for short, I prefer it over my full name.

A smile comes across his face. She answered him. Even if it was in a way that made him feel that he could be a predator of some sort, stalking his prey. BUT, she answered him and thats what he hoped would happen

No, you don't look like anyone I know. I just saw some wrestling on a television in one of the stores downtown earlier. Thought perhaps you were one of the women on the screen. Couldn't see very well, it was only a 14inch one in a pawn shop window.

I just.. well I am a wrestler. Looking for work actually. I don't know why, but from the moment I left my last job, until now, is all a complete and total blank. It's almost as if, they brainwashed me and shoved me on a bus here. I just remember stepping off a bus with a duffle bag and since that moment, I've ran into two people who spoke of a wrestling company opening here.

Just by chance, figured maybe you'd know of it, since you might have been a wrestler.

Oh god, he was rambling. He shouldn't do that. It makes him look like he was one of the crazy's he ran into a the shelter earlier in the week

[darkstarr]

"Wrestling company?... Hmmmm...

Desmond huh? My name is... well, a lot of people just call me Becca. I'm not a doctor Dez, but from the sounds of it you might have some kinda form of amnesia. Forgetting things, blanking out and not being able to recall and all that jazz. That's uh.. that's really got to suck.

I'm not like, a wrestler by nature. I've had one match, and I lost it. She was like, way shorter.... way lighter and had to have been physically weaker. She pretty much kicked my ass around the ring for a half hour. I beat the hell out of her after the match ended. 'Heat of the moment' and all that. I had no idea there was a wrestling company here.... hell I live in Chicago and I didn't know."

Becca thinks about that for a second right there. She's living here, her long time friend is a wrestler. She watches wrestling from time to time, had a wrestling match within the last 24 hour time period. Had no idea a wrestling promotion was in business here. Huh. That don't add up does it? She jabs her fork into a piece of the shrimp cocktail before lifting it up and looking over at Desmond sitting in his seat.

"So uh... just out of curiosity Dez..

When is this place opening?"

[<~The Shooting Starr~>]

I don't know. Honestly, all I know is someone is opening a company, or someones. From the two people I've ran into already, I gathered it was going to be run by a competent owner. Or atleast someone who had the right idea to start off.

He stumbles through his mind trying to remember the name he heard repeated to him before. Not by Taarja or Nobbs, but by the rambling drunk outside that liquor store down the block

Amanda Wallace? That's the name. I think she's the one who is opening the company. If she's smart, she'll do it before the new year, to get the jump on the other companies who go into a short 2 month hiatus to recharge their batteries. Basicly allowing her to get the product on the television and pay per view channels.

Wait a second Dez, she said she IS a wrestler, had one match, and lost. Beat the poor girl up after the match aswell. Interesting, ask more about it Dez, press forward.

So you lost huh? That sucks too. Can't always be a winner though, or else the fans and other wrestlers think you got friends in high places making sure you win. That, in itself, is worse then my apparent case of amnesia. I can get back my memory, in time hopefully, but respect from fellow workers, that's hard to get in the first place, let alone after accusations like that start flying.

Did he have amnesia? Part of him did, but deep down inside, he knew everything. It's just that part of him doesn't want to come out to the front and let it be known. Besides, sooner or later someones going to recognize him and then the forgetfull part of him can find out the rest from there.

Until then, he sits, mesmerized by the appearance of the 1 match in, rookie wrestler

[darkstarr]

"Amanda Wallace.... huh, sounds familiar somehow. Passing fancy I guess. I didn't even agree to do it for the winning or losing to be honest, originally I just did it for the paycheck. Friend of mine called me up and asked for a favor, I did it. I went into it knowing I was only there cause people think I look good in tight clothing. Yet once I actually got INTO it.. the whole spirit of competition or whatever you want to call it, it really got me going. Losing just, upset me so damn much. I know she had like waaaay more experience it's just....

She was so fucking tiny."

Becca brushes the side of her hair away from her mouth a bit as she takes a big bite out of the poor passed on shrimp on the end, impaled, on the tail end of her fork. She feels the wind hit her cheek as it rolls by, causing an almost... sticky sensation around her right eye. Becca puts her fork down and runs her fingers around on her cheek and under her eye before figuring out what it was. The eye make up she had been instructed to put on around just her right eye. It was still on. Becca puts the top segment of her index finger into her mouth, wetting it for a moment before pulling it out and softly... carefully, dabbing and grasping at the edges around her eye.

"So obviously, you want to work for this Amanda woman right? You know anything about the company? A name? A building or landmark district around the area? The ticket venue that is going to be accepting the blue collar Joe's money to get in?"

Becca finally pulls her finger softly away from the edges of her eye, rubbing the make up off of her finger against a napkin. She picks her fork back up and wraps her lips around the remaining piece of poor dearly departed seafood before devouring it.

[taarja]

***Seeing an innocent young soul get lost was not the way, Taarja was about to embark on her path of chaos this year and to her it seemed that this man, this Dez always showed up at a most inopportune time. Or rather at a time when she was near, or at a time when she was a good mood, but he was an enigma and not a good one, one that needed to be watched like a fucking owl watches it's prey, carefully stalking it silently until, BAM, in it's talons. She approached the two of them and sat down quietly at their table.***

Hello, I'm sorry and I know you're probably thinking this is incredibly creepy but my name is Taarja Siri....I'm a wrestler, I used to work for an Amanda Wallace back in Detroit and that's why I'm back down here.....

I just happen to spot this man Dez, I met him quite briefly as well, but I never met you yet dear.....you'd be ??

[darkstarr]

"So you must be one of the two people Dezzy here was talking about. My name is Becca, I literally just met Dez here at this cafe. I guess a lot of wrestlers are here in Chicago for this Amanda chick huh? Must be a reason. Me and Dez were just talking about a couple things, he wants to work for Amanda. I'm going to take a 'wild' guess and say you do too right? Slowly starting to put the picture together of Amanda being the main reason people want to work for this new company."

Becca looks across at the new entrant to the table before looking back at Dez and brushing her hair back behind her ear off to one side. She sits up a bit in her seat, letting the long sleeves of her hoodie drape down over her hands as she jabs her fork into another poor helpless, dead crustacean in her shrimp cocktail. She lifts it up and bites half of it clean off, looking around a bit at the cafe. Nice place now that she had sat down, gotten a little more used to everything and everyone around it and all that jazz.

"So, like.... why do you two wrestle? I mean I had one match, for a paycheck. I'm guessing the whole 'mindset' of wrestlers who usually do it for long periods of time, is a lot more grand than a simple paycheck right? Cause I have to admit I kinda enjoyed beating down the little runt after she beat me. I wouldn't call it blood lust or anything... more of just, like... man it's hard to describe it. I'm sure either of you have just gotten a nice thrill or rush or something out of doing that right? More than a adrenaline rush.... kind of like..

Just, enjoyment or something. You know?"

[<~The Shooting Starr~>]

Stress release mainly, and to be recognized as more then just a guy who was here. I mean, men and women go to their jobs everyday. Whether it be in an office, a factory or on the road. Wrestlers, we get to fight, entertain and tour the world doing it. Yes, it costs us our bodies sometimes, but if your as good as you need to be, it doesn't really affect your health at all. Minor bruises, breaks. So basically, some time off and your good to go soon after.

He looks towards Taarja awaiting her answer

[darkstarr]

"So really, it's to beat the hell out of people on national television while getting paid for it? I don't want to have any job or career here sound simplistic, it just sounds to me like the main reason is being able to use an opponent like one of those squeeze stress ball things you buy at the dollar store. Which I guess is part of the job. I would try to get into it but... I've only got three months of training and one, loss.... 'under my belt'."

Becca takes another bite out of her cocktail, wrestling talk huh? Becca had to admit she had a slightly bigger interest in the sport since she'd actually been involved in a match up. Despite the bad after taste it had left in her mouth mind you. She rolls up the sleeve on her right arm about halfway past her elbow before resting her forearm on the edge of the table. Looking between Taarja and Dezzy.

"Hey...

How long have both of you been in wrestling?"

[taarja]

I've only wrestled for a year in the United States, Rebecca was it, before that I spent time wrestling in Canada and in Finland....my mindset behind the entire thing has always been it's something that I've just done. It kept me out of trouble in Finland, and in Canada it's a national pride thing, but I've always been sort of secluded from everyone in my days in wrestling, I was always solitary until going to Detroit......and meeting my first and only true friend.......wrestling has given me everything I've ever wanted.

***Taarja pulled her chair in closer to Becca's, leaning in so that their hair was so close that it was touching, but this prevented Dez from reading lips. She quietly and dead silently whispered to her.***

Listen....Becca, we need to speak privately and alone about this guy, alright, just nod if it's cool ??

[darkstarr]

Becca slowly turns her eyes to Taarja as she stabs another shrimp with her fork. What was that? Was she hearing correctly? Becca turns back and looks at Desmond with a smile. Taking another large bite out of a poor crustacean, she runs her free hand through her hair slowly. Becca's own life was usually in some kind of distress, some kind of upheaval. So it wasn't by any stretch, a great shock to her that something else was more than likely coming down the turnpike. She puts her fork down and smiles at Desmond for a second.

"Hey Dez? Me and Taarja have just a little bit of girl talk to take care of alright? We'll just be, over there for a minute. Don't go anywhere okay? Okay."

Becca rolls up her left sleeve, halfway past her elbow as she slowly gets up from her seat. She stretches her back out a bit, letting out a soft grunt before slowly doing the.... frogger dance. That's what she called it anyway, you know when there's a bunch of tables and seats at someplace and you have to maneuver through them with the greatest of care. Becca manages to navigate the man made maze and walks to about maybe seven feet outside of the patio area of the cafe. She nods her head at Taarja to come on over so they can get this done. Just WONDERING what she had to say almost worried Becca at this point, course.... for someone who owns an undead bunny, not a whole lot really got to Becca these days.

"... Lets hope that stays a constant truth in my life right here...."

Becca watches as traffic goes by, as people talk happily and laugh and play. She remembers being like that, being all full of life and care free and love the day you live in. God was that a long long time ago now or what. She crosses her arms over the baggy hoodie adorning her upper body as she yawns slightly, waiting for Taarja. This had better be good.... keeping her from a shrimp cocktail.

[taarja]

***Taarja paused as she stared at the girl in wonderment, this girl had no idea about the "true" world around her. Especially the man that sat across from her, though Taarja's suspicion's had never truly been confirmed yet, she knew full well that he was only but the worst kind of evil.***

Rebecca, or Becca, if I may be so blunt....the world around you as I'm sure you're mostly well aware is a hell-hole....you live in Chicago, correct, and although I'm not quite sure of his decent, Dez there....he gives off bad vibes....

He never knew me, never heard of me before, but suddenly approached me on the street and not only did he know MORE about my personal life than he should have.....but he also knew about my best friend and one time lover Shayne Pain's life than I care to know, almost as if had stalked her or HAD her......

This man, is by no means, a casual man to sit and chat with Becca....it's best to leave while you can, you enjoy your shrimp.....and I'll make him leave.....if you'd like ??

[darkstarr]

"Come 'gain?"

Becca tilts herself to the side slightly, looking past Taarja and back to Desmond, sitting at the cafe. She looks back at Taarja and just blinks. Huh? What? She taps her fingers against her elbow as she looks at the new, still unknown female in front of her by the name of Taarja. This was somewhat on the verge of hypocritical situations. This Taarja woman was talking about how Desmond, was the one who approached her on the street... and knew far more, than he should. Yet from the way Becca saw it, wasn't Taarja doing the exact same thing in just a slightly different avenue of context? Becca somewhat frowns at the headache she's now causing herself from thinking about this.

"So, you're telling me that Dezzy there... freaked you out by knowing stuff he shouldn't know, right? Well.. I'll admit that's a bit uh.... odd. I wouldn't really be walking down the street, expecting people to know all about my life in an instant either. So I guess that's...

Well that's kinda weird really. Now hold on though Taarja... accusing someone of being a stalker is a big deal you know? I don't really know, well anything about you... in fact all I know about you and Dezzy there is you're both wrestlers. If you believe Dezzy is a stalker that's a pretty serious claim you know? I'm not saying you're wrong cause uh...

Hell for all I know you could be very, very right. But... you really should try to find out. I mean if someone knew everything about a past relationship I had, it'd kinda get me a bit curious about him or her who had such knowledge. Don't you think it'd be wiser to either check him out, or find things out about him first? Like... crap, how do I explain this without rambling...

Alright, it's like cops when they do a stakeout. It's better to know about a suspect rather than just arrest him straight up right? So... why don't you try and find out some more things about Dezzy before you straight up condemn the man in your mind. As for me?... Well, I thank you for the warning. Cause uh.... that is kind of a bit weird, him knowing and all.... but

I'm going to try and figure out a bit more about Dez before making a judgment call. After all, if you didn't think enough to warn me about this.... I may have gone head first into a dangerous situation without knowing it.

Now I'm just going head first into it with the knowledge of it in the back of my mind. You know? Thanks though... don't meet a lot of people in Chicago who uh.... how do I put that..

Care."

Becca looks past Taarja once again, waving a bit at Desmond before yawning again. God damn... the match had really drained her. Kind of makes her wonder how much training both Dezzy and Taarja have if this, this is a PROFESSION they've chosen. They do this kind of thing for a living. Probably a hell of a lot more than once a day, Becca had one match and she felt like she could sleep for a week on end. Christ. She begins to walk back to the cafe and somewhat nods for Taarja to follow her. Becca thought her analysis of the situation was pretty good, might as well figure out who the man was before run from him right?