Widow's Indentation {O2A}

[ttm]

±†_Chicago Illinois - After Absolution_†±

".... So not surprised.."

It was a nice day, somewhat brisk. As it was everywhere it seemed. She'd managed to escape the confines of her own mind before it ended up killing her, barely. Finding the last remnants of the one before her, Eliza had been led to Chicago Illinois.. home of yet another, wrestling promotion. She sighs heavily as a errant gust of wind picks up, breezing past her. Wrestling, wrestling, wrestling.

"It's like, I have no choice or something. I try to avoid it, I try to like get therapy for it... hell, wonder if Chicago has any therapists."

She pauses for a moment on that thought, laughing on the inside as she continues walking on. Eliza had no idea where the hell she was going, she was lost point blank. She runs her fingers across her cheeks a bit trying to warm them up, looking around at land marks most people could use to figure out where they were.

"Being a tourist isn't fun unless I get some of those really cute Japanese Bento boxes on a first class flight..."

Eliza huddles her arms up against her sides, against the sweater covering her body. She didn't know how but when she woke up, she was in Chicago... and fully dressed. She really didn't want to question that right now. She slides her hands into the back of her hip hugger jeans before turning on her heels and looking up at the sky.

"... I bet if she was lost, someone would come down out of the blue and save her..."

She kicked herself on the inside, she had to let go of that someday. She just was so painfully aware it'd take therapy she couldn't pay for-...

"... Oh crap."

Yeah, so she's broke right now. Eliza rolls her tongue around on the inside of her cheek before looking around, she couldn't explain how... but she seemed to know which direction to head in. She begins walking down the street she's on, slowly. Looking at all the things, people and places she passes as she does.

"... There has to be something left behind, something she knew I'd find...."

Games are only fun, if there's entertainment. She knew that there must be something, anything... ANYTHING that was intentionally left behind here, in Chicago.... that SHE knew Eliza would find. But where, where? After more inexplainable ways of her finding her way through the town slowly, so very painfully slowly. Eliza finds herself in front of a very large building, a... tower, if you will. It almost looked as if it was trying to pierce the sky... bingo.

".... Subtle much? Has to be run by a male.."

Eliza makes her way into the building, security waving her in with only a second glance. Must have mistaken her for, someone else... Eliza is just, JUST about to pass the lobby's reception desk when she gets stopped.

Receptionist: "Yes? Hello Miss? How can I help you today?"

"... Er, I'm here to see.... uh.."

Receptionist: "Do you know the suite number of the person you're trying to contact? Or are you looking for management?"

".... Management?"

Eliza looks around in the lobby slowly... her eyes fall on one of the big logos in the center of the place, GCW. She closes her eyes slowly and shakes her head. Fuuuuuck. That was the indentation she left behind, it was the entire fucking building. Eliza looks at the receptionist with a bit of a heavy sigh, hanging her head in sheer defeat. Her fingers tapping on the counter surface in front of her.

"... Uh. Well.... I'll, really have to get back to you on that."

Receptionist: "Alright miss, you can just take a seat over there until you're ready."

"... Thanks."

Eliza shuffles her feet as she walks, her head nearly sunken off her shoulders. She was sooooo defeated it wasn't even funny. She could almost HEAR the damned laughter in her head. Bitch. She takes a seat down in one of the plush, waiting chairs from the looks of it. Planting her feet down on either side of the chair legs, Eliza hangs her head down and huddles it in her hands. Mumbling to herself softly.

"Every-time I try to get out... they just keep pulling me back in...."

[Lessien Melwasul]

~In from the cold, literally, figuratively and absolutely poetically. That was how the layered form of Lessien Melwasul entered the Redundant Tower. The home of GCW. The home of newly crowned champions. Betty's sharp eyes always took in everything. The home of depressed matchstick girls.~

How fucking Victorian.

~Betty bit under her breath, stopping at the same desk Eliza had just visited. Her lips moved but she was far enough away for it to be nothing more than muddled words. The secretary disappeared, and a moment later brought a small stack of envelopes: official mail, followed by two larger sacks: fan/hate mail. She cast it skeptical eye.~

You think I care, Lover?

~Alice let her eyes wander behind her again to the head hung sight. Betty snarled a bit at the corners.~

Give them to her.

~She said with a jerk of her head towards Eliza.~

Sadness, is the window bare.

She looks like she could use the fucking attention of meaningless ghosts.

~Betty stuffed her personal letter in her pockets with a last look of displeasure at the fan mail.~

Fucking burn it.

~She left the secretary and headed towards the elevators, past matchstick girl. Betty couldn't help but stop, casting a shadow over Head Hung Low. Obviously a street con, but for whatever reason Betty desired to see the payoff.~

How much?

~Alice's face glowed for a second above the Zippo flame as she lit up.~

[ttm]

".... Huh?"

Eliza lifts her head up slightly, her eyes freeze in place. Her mind goes through a total recall boot-up. Sharp agonizing pain shoots through her entire body for a split second. Her mouth slightly agape... she was just, frozen in place. Was that... fear?

"......"

Eliza's legs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, her stomach was curling inside itself. Her jaw would be clenched tighter then a Sharks if she could close her damn mouth right now.

".. Oh.... ah, hi..."

..... Smoooooth operator..

"... I'm, Eliza....."

.. Yeah. Good job. She couldn't blink, her eyes were probably on the verge of getting dry at this point. She was in pain, literally she was in pain. But why? From what? From the glare of one person? Was it intimidation? Was it just a random moment and time where her mind decided to paralyze her for kicks or something? Eliza softly manages to swallow once.

"... Do.. we know each other?...."

Stupidest question in the English language.

"I'm, sorry... I just.... don't know.."

Stupidest follow up sentence, in the English language. Eliza's mind was being run around in a circle like a mouse on a wheel right now. For some reason this woman seemed to... be, familiar? Or, maybe it was just Eliza and her fragile mental state making a big ass mistake? Wouldn't be the first time.

[m]

Just so happened to be sitting on one of those waiting chairs was a man hidden behind pages of newspaper in his hands. That man was Tha Infamous 187. Waiting for something? No. Waiting for someone? No. It was just not good to rest in his suite by himself. Especially in his mental condition. With those two pistols? Bad things could happen. Bad things. For some reason, being alone causes him to fall back into his own little world where thoughts of homicide come by just like the wind. Being around others seemed to prevent that. Or just being in public seemed to calm that killer instinct inching him to murder. Did he care who it was if they happened to be the unfortunate soul in his line of fire? No. He just knew revenge needed to be taken. He didn't know who it was. But if it was going to calm him down, he'd be more than willing to assist the unworthy of their lives. But that was not going through his mind. What was going through his mind currently was what he was reading in the newspaper. It was boring junk. The weather. Local news. Sports. Junk like that that was simply irrelevant to him. But he had nothing better to do. It made him look normal. He didn't need Amanda or Candice to assign him some sort of shrink to check up on him. Or people stopping by his suite constantly to say "Hello." Annoying nuisances like that were not needed. He didn't need to waste his time with someone spying on him in his suite to make sure he wasn't redecorating the walls of his place with the blood of someone on the roster. No. That wasn't needed. Not now. He took a small breath. Letting out a sigh. He heard a female voice nearby. Talking to the receptionist at the front desk. Did he recognize the voice? It vaguely sounded familiar, but he could be wrong. He flipped the page. Moving on to the next article.

"Hmmm..."

He eyes made their way back to the top of the page. Starting at the next news article. Partially listening in on the woman's voice and the receptionist. The newspaper bore him. The eavesdropping proved more interesting than this. Then the sound of footsteps started to come in his direction. Perhaps this woman was coming toward him? He didn't know. He had a newspaper in front of him. In his peripheral vision, he could see the woman taking a seat in the waiting chair beside him. She hadn't said anything to him. He didn't know if she had acknowledged his presence. Oh well. None of his business. But something caught his attention again. She had sat down. Mumbled something to herself. Being closer, he could have sworn he knew that voice. He could have sworn on his life that he had heard that voice somewhere before. But it was a long time ago. Not quite sure where on the timeline of his life he had heard this voice, but he knew it from somewhere. He looked at the woman from the corner of his eye. That face. Vaguely familiar. Maybe it was just the position she was sitting in that made it hard to recognize her. Another familiar voice had entered the area. Someone more recent. Ah. Lessien. The one he shared an interesting conversation with before Absolution. Crowned the new Debutante Champion. This could prove to be more interesting than he thought. He figured he'd stay silent for now. See how the events unfold. Well. Hear. For now.

[Lessien Melwasul]

~Something fluttered across Alice's trains of thoughts and their multiple stations. A whisper while Betty remained absolutely clueless if not annoyed.~

How

much?

~Betty repeated herself, something she absolutely despised doing. Alice watched the internal station pass.~

How much for whatever it is you're sellin' Lover? I'm just dying to see the pay off. The lit up fucking face of hope from despair.

~Betty took a long drag, while Alice remained busy with the eyes.~

What is it, Lover girl? Matchsticks? Sad winter flowers? Scented candies of sweet youth?

~A long toxic exhale of blue smoke.~

Or is it more classic than that. The young body of the heartless world offered up for a

safe

nights

rest?

The horror of it all.

[ttm]

"..... Wow."

So that was a new experience for sure. Eliza was now able to blink her eyes, and she did... repeatedly. This woman was like an experience in and of herself...

".. I do know you...."

Wrong. She doesn't know this woman, but her mind is telling her much differently. Then again her mind is not exactly the clearest thing on the face of the planet right now either. Eliza tilts her head to the side a bit before smiling up at the woman.

"... Me? You wouldn't buy the story I'm selling.... it's so much more detailed then the nice safety of the oh so typical Murder Mystery. The violence and brutality of it all. Or the sad little Romance Novel that has nothing but Rated M for Mature content... no, I'm more like.... a pick your own Adventure story, miss..."

Eliza smiles up at the woman somewhat brightly. Something about this woman seemed so... so... not, boring. Course then again, Eliza spent the last seven days trapped in her own mind, talking to "people" who were nothing more then representations, of her own mind. Any actual outside contact with another human being was like God damn GOLD right now.

"... I like reading books. You seem like you're a really, really interesting book... miss... miss....."

Eliza's eyes seem to go blank for a moment. Her head stiff as a board, her neck still tilted to the side. She shakes it off.. her smile recedes slowly.

"... Miss... Wonderland...."

[m]

Yeah. He knew that voice. He knew it now. That name. Eliza? Yes. He remembered that name now. He remembered that voice. And of course, Lessien was here. Sounding like she was being her usual self. Well, not usual. He didn't know her well enough to make that judgment. But she hasn't changed since the last time he saw her. He closed the newspaper in his hands. Folding it closed. He laid it down in his lap. A smirk crossing his lips as he was more visible now. Looking up at Lessien. His simple greeting...

"Well... This could prove to be an interesting meeting we have here.... Looks like we have Lessien here. A new acquaintance of mine. Caught your match at Absolution. Like I said I would. Happened to see it on the screen when I had the time. Congrats on the Debutante title win. Damn sure deserved it. Hey."

He turns his attention over to the woman who called herself Eliza. Not sure if she had even noticed he was there. Oh well. She'll notice now.

"And look who we have here... Goddamn... Been quite awhile since I've heard that voice... Seen that face... Been atleast like... Or more than... Two...? Three years now....? It's been awhile.... A long while.... Anyways.... Long time... No see... Remember me...?"

He didn't know if she would. It had been awhile. A very long while since he had been in the same state as this woman. But we'll have to see now.

[ttm]

".... Three years.. ?"

Three years, what happened three years ag-...

"....... No way.."

She tilts her head up at the man, her eyes squinting harshly. Three years ago... that was back in-

".. New York.... I didn't think anyone made it out of there..."

She knew that face, though it seemed to have changed slightly. Same with his voice, Eliza was confused at that. But... but she knew him..

"... Seven.... you look.. like hell."

She smiles somewhat, staring at him with a bit of wonder and amazement. He was here... so what happened in New York? Eliza, didn't even remember how she left it now... she was so confused about everything, that damned Nightmare Wheel ran havoc on her mind.

"Yeah... it's been a long long time.... I'm amazed anyone remembers me from there.. or period...."

She looks back up at Miss Wonderland with a bit of a glimmer in her eye. She had heard the name from Seven, Lessien. Title win... Champion, wrestler... important. She slowly stands up out of her chair, looking at Lessien directly for a moment..

".... I wonder whats under your cover..."

She smiles somewhat at Lessien before turning back to Seven with a smile on her face.

"Let me guess.... you wrestle here, don't you?"

[Lessien Melwasul]

See what happens when you raise your head, Lover? The whole world comes rushing back to greet you.

~Betty turned to their newest arrival, wondering if she should quote Chicago's stalking laws or not. He liked dangerous women. That was suspect at best.~

Like you had a choice One Hundred and Eighty Seven, I was on

all

fucking

night

long. You'd have to blind no to see me coming, going, same thing.

~Alice counted the words on her finger tips.~

~Betty looked at the elevator countdown, towers had notoriously

long

slow

elevator shafts. Eyes on the back of her neck she could feel again. Oh, careful Lover. I don't choose adventures. I skip right to what I fucking want and work my way back from there along the trail of memories. What was up with Alice was anyone's guess, but it pressed Betty's buttons nonetheless and those eyes on her fucking skin.~

[m]

Nodding his head. He responds to Lessien.

"Heh... Heh.. True. True. Mirked them girls in that ring."

Looking back to Eliza. Eyebrow arched up. Shaking his head. Smirk still on his face.

"Not remember you? How could I not...? You were probably one of the first... If not THE first actual person I could have considered a friend from back in that place. Of course, there was The Familia... But you... I believe you were one of the first to actually accept a person like me for who I was... Well... Still am..."

A slightly laugh to himself at that comment. He hadn't changed much. Been through hell as she mentioned he looked like. But different? Maybe a little. But the same person? Of course.

"It has been awhile. You don't even want to know what I've been through since then... Let's just say... I would have rather been in Hell than the place I was really in... Seriously... You don't want to know.... All I'll say... Is it's nothing different than it was in New York. People want me to cease living. Just the usual shit. Ya know?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"And... To answer your last question... Yes. I happen to wrestle here. Kind of felt drawn to the ring for some reason. Tried to call it quits. Get away from the business. But... I don't know... Something about getting in the ring prevents me from letting it go."

Revenge. Perfect reason to return. Atleast, in his mind. Revenge was the perfect reason to return to the ring. Unknown enemies wanting him dead would most likely resurface in time.

[ttm]

"......"

Eliza takes a step towards Lessien, making damn sure she didn't come in direct contact with her. From the looks of Miss Wonderland, if you pressed the wrong button, flipped the wrong page... you'd be dead, lost in the ages. She walks around, in a semi circle... mumbling to herself, but still close enough to Lessien..

".... You knew her.."

She backs up with a bit of a smile, looking past Lessien to Seven for a minute. She found that amusing..

"Oh, I know what you mean Sev... seems I somehow found my way here to. Tell me, is the Fam still in one big happy piece? Cause... from the looks of you, someone isn't to happy around here...."

Her gaze shifts back to Lessien, another soft, soft mumble...

".... She remembers you..

Do you remember her?"

Eliza's eyes go blank for a moment again, this time her body seems to continue on it's weird.. shifty little movement, almost as if she were an animal trying to figure out Lessien. She shakes it off again, smiling brightly at the Wonderland Book.

"So, you're the champion here? Congratulations! I had a title once... a looooong time ago. Didn't go to well, maybe I'm just not cut out from that championship cloth you know?..."

Another bright, dull... nearly emotionless smile appears on her face. Her mind was playing tricks on her, she could feel it. It was like she wanted to do two things at once, but with only one body, only one thought would win at any given time. It HAD to be a side effect from before... from that damned Wheel...

From Lilith.

"So... who's the boss here anyway Sev?"

[Lessien Melwasul]

~Saved by the bell? Who? None? The car settled to the floor, aligning for its oh so precious cargo. Betty dropped her cigarette beneath her boot and ground it out slowly to the internal rhythm that seemed to keep this mess known as Lessien going. Alice's eyes never wavered.~

We know. We are the unbroken line.

~Cryptic answers. Cryptic was also the color of her lipstick.~

We know many things, Lover. But not being cut out to be a champion is definitely not one of them.

~Betty stepped into the elevator car, turning to 187 and Eliza. She only had eyes for one at the moment. The one that was the winter fucking breath of questions on her skin. Betty took over the gaze, sharp.~

Going

down,

Lovers?

Going up?

~Alice corrected as she leaned back against the elevator car wall.~

[m]

"Unfortunately... I have no clue on their whereabouts. Got separated up North in Canada. I personally don't know what went on there. I happened to be the unlucky one who was in the right place at the right time for a lucky gunman. Apparently... I'm not even supposed to be here as I'm told by so many. Supposed to be six feet under. But from what I'm told by others... I was out cold for a bit. Coma they say. I don't know. Woke up in some place. Guess someone kidnapped my ass from the hospital or something. Others say I was in a coma in a hospital. What I saw when I woke up says otherwise. Horrible things happened to me. Torture. Starvation. Crazy shit. I ain't going to go into too much detail. Guess they decided I was done for after awhile. Left me for dead. Saved by the fuckin' homeless. Weird, right? Been there. Found here. And that's how my lovely parting with my "family" was in a nutshell. Guess I kind of explained that... Worse than hell thing. Oh well. Fuck it. Wherever they are? I have absolutely no clue at all."

Pausing for a moment. He noticed the elevator and Lessien. He figured he could tag along if they were going anywhere. He didn't say anything about getting on the elevator. He'll wait to see what happens then. Turning his attention back to Eliza.

"As for bosses... Amanda Wallace is one of them. May remember her from New York. And the other is a woman named Candice Angel. Woman who used to run a place up in Canada. Which is why I was there in the first place. But things happen and she ended up here and is now helping Amanda run this spot."

[ttm]

"......"

She could feel it, it was so... so evident. Lessien knew, she knew more then Eliza believed she herself probably knew. She watches at Lessien walks to the elevator, slowly...

".... Jesus, Christ Seven. So... someone is trying to what, eliminate all of you? Making friends I see.... But, you're alive. So that's gotta count for something right? You've always been tough... Wallace? Wallace.... yeah, I remember the name somewhat. I guess I can find her easily... with help..."

She looks at Seven, then towards Lessien. She wanted to catch up with Seven no doubt... but she KNEW Lessien knew something, so.... She twitches her nose and makes her decision. Eliza takes a couple steps towards the elevator, her eyes shift back to the blank state they were in. She stares into the car, at Lessien...

".. Alice...."

That was it. Eliza shuts her eyes firmly, in pain. Migraine meets hangover, not, cool. She softly clutches her head, shaking it from side to side. She makes her way into the elevator before people can cluster around and offer help. She didn't want to be in public right now, not like this. Eliza was understanding now... the indent, her sister really left. It wasn't the tower, it wasn't any symbol on any wall... it wasn't any note or piece of furniture or anything...

"..... It's you."

Eliza lifts her head up and looks directly at the cool almost cold side of Lessien's profile. She was the indentation... she HAD to be. Eliza needed to grasp at straws, this was the first one that came along her path... she had to try and capture it. But... why? Would her sister do something like this? How do you leave an impression on an actual human body?

"... You're a very, interesting book aren't you Wonderland..... tell me there's a happy little cat in it.. I always loved that Cheshire grin.."

She wasn't even fully in control of her mouth, her words. Her mind. The Nightmare Wheel... her OWN impression of her sister, it was... taking over her mind? She didn't know, she couldn't understand. Right now she didn't WANT to understand. There was physical pain, and for some reason a small voice deep down almost crying. Eliza was confused, as usual, it seemed.

"... My name... I was born Elizabeth..... Creighton..

Like my sister."

Eliza smiles at Lessien after admitting it. Just in case Wonderland hadn't already put it together... there was another puzzle piece. She looks out of the elevator car at Seven, the door being held...

".. You want to come with us, Seven? I'm sure you can tag along for.... whatever it is I'm looking for. Since you know I um.. don't fully know myself. Besides, we have a lot... from the sounds of it, a LOT of catching up to do.... besides... You wouldn't mind... right, Alice?"

She stares at Lessien, saying the name her mind had produced for the first time audibly and not as a mere whisper.

[Lessien Melwasul]

You really do like to read books, don't you?

~Betty smirked.~

Just where do you think this elevator is going after the doors close? Some chocolate factory run by the Burton slaves of CGI?

~Betty had pressed a button of course, a shiny R in the middle of a plastic circle. Betty seemed to be heading for the roof of the tower, there wasn't any chocolate there either.~

All aboard, Lovers.

~She replied to the question of 187's joining them before turning her attention fully to "Elizabeth". Her name now fully said and understood.~

If that's the way you want to play it, Elizabeth. Naked and in the fucking public raw?

~Betty paused to look through the thick black lenses.~

That's fine by me, Creighton.

~No love in that name. No. No love in that name falling from Lessien's Cryptic colored lips at all. Alice knew something, but it wasn't that at all. Alice was on the Clockwork trail, sensing something else entirely. But now Betty was on the

cold

hard

fucking trail. The riddles were going to end quickly as the began to ascend. Cold profile? That was absolutely correct as Lessien stood with her back to the wall, arms folded with the aroma of stale tobacco and an ancient, road worn leather coat. She let the mind numbing conversation of owners, and dead end groups continue on without her. She didn't care who the boss was. She didn't care what factions were left, if fucking any. She only cared about that singular name, the possible street fucking con that was being played and how the stakes just kept raising every floor the passed.~