The Good, The Bad, and The Lonely
Aug 12, 2020 0:41:01 GMT -5
Kohaku Fujihara =^.^=, Jon Willis, and 2 more like this
Post by mystifyingoracle on Aug 12, 2020 0:41:01 GMT -5
“Hey! Nice day for a walk in the park.”
Silvio beamed at Adrienne as she approached. He’d sent her a message to meet at Pierce’s Park. Dressed in blue jeans, brown leather sandals and a sleeveless red shirt, he stood from his seat on a bench and waved her over. It was good to see her - not just for the purpose of work, but also for the pleasure of her company. Setting down roots in a new town and reworking a social network from the ground up was difficult, but it also presented new opportunities; new stories.
“Nice kicks! Putting that winner’s purse to good use, huh?” he said with a grin.
After waving, she looked at her New Balances and shrugged with her reply, “Oh, these? I got these with my tag match winnings. My old ones were coming apart at the seams.”
Adrienne appreciated that it wasn’t raining today. It was just very, very hot. So she opted for a nondescript white tank top and jean shorts.
“Nate did buy me all new ring attire for the big show, though.” She said with a wry smile.
Silvio laughed, closing the distance between them and raising a brow. “That was a helluva match. Never doubted you for a minute, though. Congrats!”
Seeing Adrienne’s continued success was exciting. He reflected on the woman he’d met with at the cafe just a few weeks ago and how much of a difference there already was between her and this freshly triumphant Adrienne Levi. Winning wasn’t everything, but the new vibrancy he saw in her promos, her ring-work, and just the way she held herself made him glad.
“Victory suits you. Looking forward to continuing that win streak at WAR?”
Taking in all of the unorthodox architecture surrounding them, Adrienne considered that. Knox had told her to essentially revel in these moments. She finally answered after a bit of silence during their stroll, “Sure. Winning’s fun. I try not to make too big a deal about it, Silvio. Knew someone who did. Know lots of people who do.”
Adrienne stuck her hands in her pockets, head hung low as she trailed off.
He raised a brow, cocking his head to one side.
“Hey...sorry, I didn’t mean to hit a nerve or anything. Something on your mind? You don’t gotta tell me if you don’t feel like it, but I’m always happy to lend an ear.”
Stopping, she looked around. As of late, Adrienne had been hearing things from folks that couldn’t possibly know.
“No need to apologize. As for that, I’m not sure.” She didn’t want to betray Matt’s trust. Their conversations were private but something he said resonated with her in the wrong way. Her voice lowered a little, “I appreciate what you’ve done. Like more than you could ever know. But I’m not sure if I can be what is expected of me. I’ve done bad things, Silvio.”
He blinked in surprise before gesturing for her to have a seat with him on a nearby bench. “Everyone has done bad things, Adrienne. A bad action doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person.” Pausing, he glanced around before nodding to a man having a stroll with his wife, their children laughing and racing before them. “Pretty sure that guy’s new in town; or at least to this park. See how he keeps patting his back pocket? That’s where his wallet is. When people are out and about, especially in places that might be unfamiliar to them, they tend to touch things they value to make sure they’re still there; still safe.” Leaning back, he continued in a conversational tone. “Now, if someone were to take that wallet, he’d probably notice pretty quickly, and he might be able to spot the thief before they had a chance to get away. That’s why you leave a bunk biscuit in its place. A bunk biscuit is an object that is about the same size and weight as the one that’s being stolen. It’s tricky to do, but it’s worth it because it’ll take longer for him to realize anything’s gone amiss. By that time, the person stealing the wallet will be long gone.”
Looking at Adrienne, he gives her a little smile.
“How do you think I know that?”
Looking at the man with the family and then back to Silvio, Adrienne returned the smile sheepishly. Her answer was innocent in nature, “Books?”
But what he said started to set in.
“Oh. OH. Well, I won’t tell anyone.”
His grin widened. “It’s okay. Look, sometimes people find themselves in extraordinary circumstances and they do things they wouldn’t have expected to do.” Silvio shrugged. “I wasn’t a bad kid, I was just poor and hungry and desperate. Life can take us places we weren’t prepared for, and we do the best given the circumstances.” Looking at her, his expression softened. “I’m sure whatever you’ve done, you did because your options were limited or you were in a desperate situation. I wouldn’t judge you for that.”
She appreciated Leon sharing like this. Adrienne felt a compulsion to let everything out but nobody deserved that. Trying her best to commiserate, she mumbled, “Thanks. I did things for Danny. Things I’m not proud of.”
Silvio felt his heart give a lurch at that. He’d never met Danny Levi, but the tone she used to talk about him, her body language when he came up, raised some red flags. His body posture relaxed, and his own voice became lower and softer. “Yeah?” he murmured. “Is it something that’s hurting you now? I mean, do you need help or some time for yourself? The match is just a match - if you need to take care of yourself, that’s way more important.”
She smiled at Silvio’s kindness. Her eyes were mired in the sadness of the acts but she had promised herself that they would not define her.
“I’ve been reminded of a lot lately. But, gosh, Silvio, I’m so tired of being alone. I hate Clearwater. Feels like my tomb. And I guess it’s obvious: Danny’s not really in the picture anymore. I don’t think he’s coming back. I wish he would.” Subconsciously twisting the gold wedding band on her finger, she sniffled a little before resuming. “Cuz I did a lot for him. Did things I can never take back.”
Alone.
The word lanced through his heart like a shard of ice. But it was nothing compared to the way his stomach churned at Adrienne’s admission of things she’d done in her husband’s name.
“Do you,” he said softly, “want a hug? Or do you want to hold my hand? I understand if you don’t, but it’s okay if it would make you feel better. I know...how you feel. I don’t...I left everything behind when I came here. It’s really hard sometimes because so much of my support network is so far away. I’ve been incredibly fortunate with everyone I’ve met at Carnage since I got here - you included. But if it’s that bad, Adrienne, do you wanna work on getting you out of Clearwater? If it’s an emergency, I’ve got an open couch at my place - no questions asked.”
If it were only that easy to leave that place behind. Her mother would have a thousand reasons as to why leaving her hometown would be foolish. But there was one reason to leave that overrode them all.
“I’d like that. I really would,” and then she knew the following admission from a grown woman would make her seem sort of pathetic but she swallowed her pride and continued, “I gotta talk to my mom about this. She’s put up with so much already. With Danny and all, she didn’t want me even coming back to do this. She has her doubts even with how amazing all of you have been. I’ll convince her one day but for now, I’ll have to settle for visits.”
Looking forward to the myriad of people enjoying their day, she discreetly offered her hand.
Taking her hand in his, Silvio felt a pang wash over him. He drew in a breath, brow knit as he considered his words. “Do what you have to do. But - and if I’m out of line here, you can tell me - you gotta start living your life for yourself sooner or later. If you need out of Clearwater, you should start looking at other possibilities. I guess ultimately you have to ask yourself if the pain of the situation you’re in now is sustainable or not. Is enduring a known pain easier to deal with than an unknown potential for something better?”
“You make a lot of sense, Silvio. In fact, all of you have lately,” she paused, politely taking her hand back to brush a stray lock of hair out of her face. However, something had been bothering her. She would have a lot to mull over considering her situation but the newest addition to her nightmares as of late had been bothering her as of late. She summoned a little courage and posed her statement, “Only thing that doesn’t make sense is Zane King and you. You teamed with him. Walked by his side like it was nothing. Matt took issue with that but I’m not sure I feel the same way he does. That guy, he scares me. But, not only that, he nearly crushed my windpipe. Yet, here you are, unscathed.”
Silvio’s expression faltered somewhat and his gaze dropped to the ground. Taking a deep breath, as if steeling himself, he looked up at her. “He isn’t...Zane isn’t the same guy outside of the ring. I was able to talk with him; reason with him a bit. We worked out a deal, and that’s why that match even happened. If I hadn’t been able to get through to him, I’m pretty sure it would have just been a free-for-all. It was still pretty chaotic, even then.”
He pressed his lips together, thoughtful.
“...I wouldn’t...approach him when he’s near the ring or when a fight is about to happen,” he suggested. “There’s no getting through to him then. But when it’s quiet? When things are still...calm...he isn’t dangerous. I think…” Shaking his head, he gave her a sardonic smile. “I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I think he’s a little scared, and even more lonely.”
Adrienne remembered back to the match. Was really easy to remember the worst parts. Silvio however reminded her of one strange moment towards the end. After an errant boot had busted his lip open, he became uncontrollable. It stopped being a competitive wrestling match and instead became a struggle to survive the night. After managing to escape his clutches, he was dragged up the ramp by his security detail and King gave her the strangest expression. All she could see were his eyes and yet they told her for the briefest moment that what Silvio had just explained was true.
“I believe you,” she replied emphatically.
Silvio beamed at Adrienne as she approached. He’d sent her a message to meet at Pierce’s Park. Dressed in blue jeans, brown leather sandals and a sleeveless red shirt, he stood from his seat on a bench and waved her over. It was good to see her - not just for the purpose of work, but also for the pleasure of her company. Setting down roots in a new town and reworking a social network from the ground up was difficult, but it also presented new opportunities; new stories.
“Nice kicks! Putting that winner’s purse to good use, huh?” he said with a grin.
After waving, she looked at her New Balances and shrugged with her reply, “Oh, these? I got these with my tag match winnings. My old ones were coming apart at the seams.”
Adrienne appreciated that it wasn’t raining today. It was just very, very hot. So she opted for a nondescript white tank top and jean shorts.
“Nate did buy me all new ring attire for the big show, though.” She said with a wry smile.
Silvio laughed, closing the distance between them and raising a brow. “That was a helluva match. Never doubted you for a minute, though. Congrats!”
Seeing Adrienne’s continued success was exciting. He reflected on the woman he’d met with at the cafe just a few weeks ago and how much of a difference there already was between her and this freshly triumphant Adrienne Levi. Winning wasn’t everything, but the new vibrancy he saw in her promos, her ring-work, and just the way she held herself made him glad.
“Victory suits you. Looking forward to continuing that win streak at WAR?”
Taking in all of the unorthodox architecture surrounding them, Adrienne considered that. Knox had told her to essentially revel in these moments. She finally answered after a bit of silence during their stroll, “Sure. Winning’s fun. I try not to make too big a deal about it, Silvio. Knew someone who did. Know lots of people who do.”
Adrienne stuck her hands in her pockets, head hung low as she trailed off.
He raised a brow, cocking his head to one side.
“Hey...sorry, I didn’t mean to hit a nerve or anything. Something on your mind? You don’t gotta tell me if you don’t feel like it, but I’m always happy to lend an ear.”
Stopping, she looked around. As of late, Adrienne had been hearing things from folks that couldn’t possibly know.
“No need to apologize. As for that, I’m not sure.” She didn’t want to betray Matt’s trust. Their conversations were private but something he said resonated with her in the wrong way. Her voice lowered a little, “I appreciate what you’ve done. Like more than you could ever know. But I’m not sure if I can be what is expected of me. I’ve done bad things, Silvio.”
He blinked in surprise before gesturing for her to have a seat with him on a nearby bench. “Everyone has done bad things, Adrienne. A bad action doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person.” Pausing, he glanced around before nodding to a man having a stroll with his wife, their children laughing and racing before them. “Pretty sure that guy’s new in town; or at least to this park. See how he keeps patting his back pocket? That’s where his wallet is. When people are out and about, especially in places that might be unfamiliar to them, they tend to touch things they value to make sure they’re still there; still safe.” Leaning back, he continued in a conversational tone. “Now, if someone were to take that wallet, he’d probably notice pretty quickly, and he might be able to spot the thief before they had a chance to get away. That’s why you leave a bunk biscuit in its place. A bunk biscuit is an object that is about the same size and weight as the one that’s being stolen. It’s tricky to do, but it’s worth it because it’ll take longer for him to realize anything’s gone amiss. By that time, the person stealing the wallet will be long gone.”
Looking at Adrienne, he gives her a little smile.
“How do you think I know that?”
Looking at the man with the family and then back to Silvio, Adrienne returned the smile sheepishly. Her answer was innocent in nature, “Books?”
But what he said started to set in.
“Oh. OH. Well, I won’t tell anyone.”
His grin widened. “It’s okay. Look, sometimes people find themselves in extraordinary circumstances and they do things they wouldn’t have expected to do.” Silvio shrugged. “I wasn’t a bad kid, I was just poor and hungry and desperate. Life can take us places we weren’t prepared for, and we do the best given the circumstances.” Looking at her, his expression softened. “I’m sure whatever you’ve done, you did because your options were limited or you were in a desperate situation. I wouldn’t judge you for that.”
She appreciated Leon sharing like this. Adrienne felt a compulsion to let everything out but nobody deserved that. Trying her best to commiserate, she mumbled, “Thanks. I did things for Danny. Things I’m not proud of.”
Silvio felt his heart give a lurch at that. He’d never met Danny Levi, but the tone she used to talk about him, her body language when he came up, raised some red flags. His body posture relaxed, and his own voice became lower and softer. “Yeah?” he murmured. “Is it something that’s hurting you now? I mean, do you need help or some time for yourself? The match is just a match - if you need to take care of yourself, that’s way more important.”
She smiled at Silvio’s kindness. Her eyes were mired in the sadness of the acts but she had promised herself that they would not define her.
“I’ve been reminded of a lot lately. But, gosh, Silvio, I’m so tired of being alone. I hate Clearwater. Feels like my tomb. And I guess it’s obvious: Danny’s not really in the picture anymore. I don’t think he’s coming back. I wish he would.” Subconsciously twisting the gold wedding band on her finger, she sniffled a little before resuming. “Cuz I did a lot for him. Did things I can never take back.”
Alone.
The word lanced through his heart like a shard of ice. But it was nothing compared to the way his stomach churned at Adrienne’s admission of things she’d done in her husband’s name.
“Do you,” he said softly, “want a hug? Or do you want to hold my hand? I understand if you don’t, but it’s okay if it would make you feel better. I know...how you feel. I don’t...I left everything behind when I came here. It’s really hard sometimes because so much of my support network is so far away. I’ve been incredibly fortunate with everyone I’ve met at Carnage since I got here - you included. But if it’s that bad, Adrienne, do you wanna work on getting you out of Clearwater? If it’s an emergency, I’ve got an open couch at my place - no questions asked.”
If it were only that easy to leave that place behind. Her mother would have a thousand reasons as to why leaving her hometown would be foolish. But there was one reason to leave that overrode them all.
“I’d like that. I really would,” and then she knew the following admission from a grown woman would make her seem sort of pathetic but she swallowed her pride and continued, “I gotta talk to my mom about this. She’s put up with so much already. With Danny and all, she didn’t want me even coming back to do this. She has her doubts even with how amazing all of you have been. I’ll convince her one day but for now, I’ll have to settle for visits.”
Looking forward to the myriad of people enjoying their day, she discreetly offered her hand.
Taking her hand in his, Silvio felt a pang wash over him. He drew in a breath, brow knit as he considered his words. “Do what you have to do. But - and if I’m out of line here, you can tell me - you gotta start living your life for yourself sooner or later. If you need out of Clearwater, you should start looking at other possibilities. I guess ultimately you have to ask yourself if the pain of the situation you’re in now is sustainable or not. Is enduring a known pain easier to deal with than an unknown potential for something better?”
“You make a lot of sense, Silvio. In fact, all of you have lately,” she paused, politely taking her hand back to brush a stray lock of hair out of her face. However, something had been bothering her. She would have a lot to mull over considering her situation but the newest addition to her nightmares as of late had been bothering her as of late. She summoned a little courage and posed her statement, “Only thing that doesn’t make sense is Zane King and you. You teamed with him. Walked by his side like it was nothing. Matt took issue with that but I’m not sure I feel the same way he does. That guy, he scares me. But, not only that, he nearly crushed my windpipe. Yet, here you are, unscathed.”
Silvio’s expression faltered somewhat and his gaze dropped to the ground. Taking a deep breath, as if steeling himself, he looked up at her. “He isn’t...Zane isn’t the same guy outside of the ring. I was able to talk with him; reason with him a bit. We worked out a deal, and that’s why that match even happened. If I hadn’t been able to get through to him, I’m pretty sure it would have just been a free-for-all. It was still pretty chaotic, even then.”
He pressed his lips together, thoughtful.
“...I wouldn’t...approach him when he’s near the ring or when a fight is about to happen,” he suggested. “There’s no getting through to him then. But when it’s quiet? When things are still...calm...he isn’t dangerous. I think…” Shaking his head, he gave her a sardonic smile. “I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I think he’s a little scared, and even more lonely.”
Adrienne remembered back to the match. Was really easy to remember the worst parts. Silvio however reminded her of one strange moment towards the end. After an errant boot had busted his lip open, he became uncontrollable. It stopped being a competitive wrestling match and instead became a struggle to survive the night. After managing to escape his clutches, he was dragged up the ramp by his security detail and King gave her the strangest expression. All she could see were his eyes and yet they told her for the briefest moment that what Silvio had just explained was true.
“I believe you,” she replied emphatically.