Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2020 16:39:33 GMT -5
THE REBIRTH ARC - PART I
(Off Camera)
Saturday Night - After Revolution 3.
“She’s in way over her head.” The voice of the veteran Leavenworth, the 40 year old Undine came across Dr. Jestine’s phone speaker. The two had watched Ignis’ garbled under influence promo on Uprising, and social media interactions with Scott Dunn that... could have gone better.
“I don’t get it.” Jestine mused. “She didn’t used to fuck shit up like this back in the day.”
“She’s been a glorified care worker for five fucking years. Whatever grasp on promo skills, wrestling nuances and general behaviour in public quarters has clearly been left. This is what happens if your only company for years on end is a drug-riddled, crazy fucking mess. You shouldn’t be letting her on social media or on camera with this kind of bullshit. It makes the whole family look like shit.”
“She might have been mum’s carer, but I’m not hers. I’m not even supposed to be backstage, I don’t work for the company.” Jess sighed, tapping at the arm of her chair.
“I don’t give a fuck. Our name carries weight in this business... or at least it did before she fucked off to hide mom’s drugs and you became a quack.”
“Doctor of Psychotherapy...”
“Right...why don’t you put some of your ‘skills’ to use, and get her head sorted then?”
Jestine paused for a moment. “You really think she’ll go along with it?”
“She’s dumb as a box of rocks. You don’t actually TELL her. Look, Christmas is next week. Find a condo in the area and rent it out. Tell her you guys can you use it as a base of operations in Reno. I’ll head out there with Justice for the holidays when we finish our last couple bookings. Once we’re all in the same place, we can get working on her mentality.”
“You’re coming to help?”
“If I’ve learned one thing being a member of this family, it’s leaving important business to my siblings guarantees they’ll fuck them up.”
“Pretty harsh. I thought I was your favourite sibling?”
“You are. Doesn’t change the fact that its a low bar. Just find a place and get it ready. I’ll call you in a couple of days to get the address. Hop to it, chicken.”
“Uh-okay... wait, you’re gonna help pay for this condo, right?”
-CLICK: beep beep beep-
Jestine put her phone down. Sure, I’ll just rent a fucking condo and trick my sister into intense psychological therapy. That’s a fucking great idea.
The problem was, Jestine didn’t have a better idea. Besides, she knew better than to cross her big sister. Merry could be a real fucking nightmare. Picking her phone back up, she fired a text to her baby sister.
“Renting a condo out in the next couple of days. Family’s getting there for Christmas, in Reno. Please come!”
She sighed. Time to go to work...
------
-FOUR DAYS LATER-
Undine smiled a little as she pulled the car up the driveway. Jestine seemed to have got a decent looking place.
Justice: Man, this is a sweet-ass lookin’ crib. We ain’t payin’ for this shit, right?
Undine: No, Jess is paying for it.
Justice: Good. Hope she paid for some motherfucking beer while she was at it.
Undine parked up, and as they got out Jestine came scurrying out to meet them.
Jestine: Hey, you guys made it! You like the place?
Undine: Yeah, it looks fine.
Undine said, keeping it understated. Didn’t want Jess getting a big head.
Justice: Hey Doc, rookies carry the bags around here!
Justice chucks two sizable bags at Jestine.
Him & Undine waltz on inside. Jestine looks down at the bags and sighs.
Jestine: Only in this family does divebar wrestler trump doctor in profession prestige…
Undine: Divebar LEGEND actually, they know me from Tupelo, to Tijuana and back from Tierra Del Fuego to The Antarctica
Justice: ..and not just because of that huge rack either!
Undine: LEGENDARY huge rack, thank you for noticing. See I bagged me a romantic after all.
-----
Later on, the family are sitting around the big table, having a few drinks to get in the festive spirit. At this point the dreaded question came from the baby Leavenworth.
Ignis: So... you guys think I’m doing good in UPRISING so far?
Undine & Jestine exchanged glances. Luckily, (or perhaps unluckily) Justice was first to speak.
Justice: Look kid, I’ll be honest with you..
Ignis: Please do.
He flips his sunglasses, down the bridge of his nose and leans in to look at her like a somewhat out of touch old headmaster would at an unruly teen.
Justice: Your shit is horrible pal! If I was in charge of this territory I’d send you down to the boonies to work some of the green out of those horns, slap you maybe with a masked psycho lesbian stalker gimmick, slasher stuff is always solid. Then after a around the country “murder spree” for say 6 to 12 months switching from territory to territory getting your name out of people’s heads we bring you back in a big way and reveal it was you all along. Ignatius D Brutale!
Undine: D?
Justice: D as in see them DAYUM DOUBLE D TIDDIES Daddy! She’d go over like gangbusters this isn’t brain surgery or rocket science ladies and gents it’s basic wrasslin’ bookin, you gotta learn how to work the marks, make the moolah, get the heat and most of all..protect the business. Tell me there Jobberina, who is the best damn worker you know?
Ignis: Um, well gee. I mean depends if you look at their workrate, success or--
She gets cut off by Justice.
Justice: WRONG! Santa Motherfucking Claus!
Ignis: WHAT?!
Justice: Yeah, Let me educate you here little padawan. Christmas is a WORK how the hell do you think that fat fuck can show up at all the damn territories at the same time to deliver the wrapped up merch under the marks trees? He can't, it's all kayfabe, has been since the dawn of time and that gimmick still works..
He rubs his fingers together to motion for money.
Justice: Biggest damn payday, every goddamn year.
Ignis: .........I think that makes sense?!
Undine: Look. What’s your gimmick supposed to be, Meg?
Ignis: Um... Firebird?
Undine: No. You’re not a Firebird. There’s a dragon on your roster with a fucking TAIL. Unless you grow fiery wings and shit, that ain’t getting over. Try again.
Ignis blinked a couple times.
Ignis: I... I guess I don’t have a gimmick. I’m just being myself.
The reaction around the table was so horrified and disgusted, you’d swear she’d just admitted to strangling cats.
Jestine: GOD.
Undine: NO.
Justice: FUCKING MARK!
Ignis started to look really upset.
Ignis: What am I doing wrong?
Undine sighed for a moment, patting her baby sister on the wrist.
Undine: Meg... you’re not over. You’re barely under. No-one cares about you. Back in the day, you had cockiness, you had fire, you had personality... but now? Being yourself? Who the fuck is gonna wanna by a t-shirt of a awkward little Welsh bint when there’s monsters, machines and a fucking DRAGON running around?
Ignis: .....
Undine: And even outside of that, what the fuck are you even doing in PR or social media? You really thought using a fucking LOSTPROPHETS song was a good idea?
Ignis: I LIKE THE SONG!
Undine: THE SINGER LIKED MOLESTING CHILDREN!!! Scott Dunn schooled you like the stupid fucking baby brain you are. You’re a joke. You’re nothing!
Ignis’ lip quivers, before she bursts into floods of tears.
Jestine: MEREDITH, THAT’S ENOUGH!!!
Silence pervays for a few moments, outside of the Firebird’s sobs. Then Justice gets up, walks over and kneels down to put an arm over her shoulder.
Justice: Look pal, we love you. We do, that’s a shoot but we are family. We know who YOU really are, but nobody wants to cue up to the arenas to see Megan Leavenworth, nobody pays to see Megan being Megan..if they wanna meet a nice, innocent and sweet girl next door..the internet gimmick is full of sites for that. People live horrible, boring lives, normal lives are just killing them..they come to the shows and line the promoters pockets with money to escape, to get away from the 9 to 5 grind. Working two jobs to get by and putting up with the nagging husband or wife. What you need to show them is something to envy or something to inspire to be. If you wanna be a firebird what you need to do is light a fire under their asses or in their hearts depending what you want to accomplish. I’m not saying you have to be Merlin, Harry Potter or Barney the Dinosaur to get noticed but maybe there is a reason your schedule has been a bit spotty and why creative has nothing for you. We know you can do this kid, but it’s not us who you need to convince..
He taps at her chest with his index finger.
Justice: It’s you. If even you don’t believe in yourself why in the blue blazes of hell would any of the marks do that? I mean sure they are marks..but they aren’t idiots!
Megan sniffed a couple of times, wiping her eyes.
Ignis: I... I used to be a star... I... why don’t I know how to do this anymore?
Jestine smiled at her sister.
Jestine: Meggie... you’ve spent five years caring for mom. No friends, no real social contact. It’s 2020. The world has evolved, the world has moved on. And the simple fact is that you haven’t. You didn’t become a bad wrestler or a bad personality in that time, you just need to adjust. You need to be Ignis, star wrestler of 2020. What happened in the past is dead, buried and long forgotten. You’re an FFW Hall of Famer, and yet I bet half that roster doesn’t even remember you. Assuming they ever knew you.
Ignis: But... I can’t go back. I made my decision to do what I did five years ago.
Jestine: We don’t need to go back, look back, or anything like that. We need a modern Ignis for the modern world.
Ignis: ...I don’t even know who or what that would be...
Undine smiled at her sister.
Undine: Well, that’s what we’re here for. You think we all showed up here for Santa Claus? He’s already a fucking star. We’re here to make you a star, baby sister. Now I can’t guarantee you Santa levels of popularity... but I’m sure the four of us can make you into something resembling a wrestling star again. Because the last thing any of us want is Scott Dunn stomping an Ignis shaped hole through the ring mat. You’re sharing a condo with three of the best wrestling minds in the business.
Justice Deville gets up and puts his sunglasses on Ignis with a smirk.
Justice: Here kid, you’ll need these.
Ignis looks around confused.
Ignis: Really? In doors? Why?
Justice: Because your future in 2021 just got so bright, if you look straight into it you will go blind.