Post by Matt Knox "The Raven" on Nov 1, 2020 19:31:42 GMT -5
Matthew sat in the middle of the ring in his rented warehouse turned training facility. He was in the lotus position, silent except for his breathing. His chest rose, and fell with it. His eyes were closed as he tried to focus on centering himself, and finding a calm in this storm. He waited patiently for the sound of the car pulling up outside, bringing her to him. And another step into his world.
For a split second, he felt his heart rate spike. Like it always did, when he thought of her being near.
The Dragon Lady had run towards the address Matt had sent her. From her home, at least the place she called home for now. Dodging traffic and for a moment, she had climbed to a rooftop and jumped rooftop to rooftop laughing and smiling having fun. She knew exactly where she should be right now. And exactly where she wanted to be.
Warming up her muscles wasn't a chore. Not now. Not when she knew she would soon be face to face. With the Raven. Finally she pushed open the doors of warehouse Matt had sent her to
"Matt?" She said low. Probably way too low for him to hear as she took the place in. She walked quietly and quickly through the halls knowing he was somewhere to be found. And after a moment of walking at a fast pace through hallways and doors. She saw him.
Sitting there looking handsome and just perfect. He sat there in the center of the ring looking so peaceful. She almost didn't want to disturb him. But she walked silently towards him pulling herself into the ring. Finally she stood just behind him. She crouched down and put her lips next to his ear. With a soft voice she whispered to him, "I'm here, if you can take me…" then she did a cartwheel backwards and laughed at him in a most teasing way.
Matthew felt the corners of his mouth tug upward into a smile. He tipped backwards, rolling through until he pushed himself to his feet, turning to face her. He looks her over and nods, smiling broader before he spoke, “No trees to hide in this time, Pearl.” and he took a step toward her, guard completely down as it stayed in her presence.
"I don't need trees to hide behind. They happened to conveniently be there," Pearl said as she charged him. Right before she could be caught, she did a spin and did the splits. She used her hands to push herself backwards onto her feet after sliding between Matt's legs. She shoved him with both of her palms right on his back.
Matthew stumbles a bit, but catches himself. He chuckles out loud, turning to her as he speaks “Picking on an old man. Not very noble, Dragon Lady..” and with that, Knox drops down and sweeps her legs out from under her, rolling forward and hovering over her now, a hand on either side of her head.
“I’m gonna have to leave a very disapproving note at your shrine.”
Her eyes narrowed at him. After a moment she sits up and gets back to her feet. She faces him holding her fists in front of her chest, then moves back in. An amazing amount of low kicks to either side of Matt would be seen. Some kicks land others don't depending on how quickly Matt decides to react.
Matthew blocks the first from his kneeling position with his forearms before rolling to his feet, eating a couple but managing to evade a majority of them, he eventually sidesteps and pays her efforts with a snarky smack on her rear, striding toward the ropes and leaning on them as he speaks up, “You always this flustered or am I in your head already, sweetheart?”
At the smack Pearl stumbles forward and catches herself with a top rope. She then uses the ropes to help give her some momentum, as she turns and runs full speed at Matt. When she gets to him she would jump. She lands a foot on one of his thighs. She jumps from there using an arm to wrap around his chest and does an elbow drop using her weight and gravity to help bring him down to his knees. Her elbow has hit smack center into his back.
She lands on her feet lightly behind him breathing a bit heavier now. "You did not have permission to… ugh… spank me," she says into one of his ears feeling quite awkward with herself at the way she has chosen to use her words. He pays her a chuckle, leaning his head back and resting it against hers.
“Seemed like a great idea at the time.”
And with that, he got to his feet twisting out of her grip and sliding behind her, locking in “The Mercy” but applying no pressure, he holds her still a moment before speaking, his tone more of an instructor now than a sharp cheddar romeo.
“Most people panic as soon as they feel my arm by their throat, but this might be the easiest move to get out of. Especially as short as you are. As soon as you feel me get under your arm pit -” he lets her left arm drop, but slides his hand into her arm pit, resting it there and gripping her firmly “- you drop down or you elbow me as fast as you can, spin away from the hand on your neck.”
He leaned in and whispered right into her ear then.
“Don’t tell anyone now, no one else has figured it out yet.”
Her face turned bright red for a moment with his closeness. Then she did exactly as he had told her to do. She dropped down quickly, getting free of his grip. She then sent both hands at him, open palm. And just before each palm would make contact with his collar bones on each side she paused.
Her eyes looked focused. Not on his face, but exactly where she would have hit him. "Pressure points. Something I have been training more on."
She slowly moved a hand to one of his forearms and let her fingertips slid up slowly. Admiring the toned up muscles, until she pressed a thumb softly into a certain spot. "Pain," she said as her eyes moved slowly up his frame letting her fingers slowly glide further up towards his jawline. She pressed with a thumb to another spot. "Paralysis."
Her fingers continued moving. Now she is on her tiptoes as she reached towards his face. Her fingers stopped as she eyes just under his nose. She pressed again with a thumb there. "Knockout." Matthew remains still, trying to calm his own heart rate. He raises a hand, extending one index finger he reaches out and touches the tip of her nose.
“Knockout.” He repeats.
Her eyes lifted to his now. A playful smile makes its way to her lips as she drops down quickly and side sweeps a leg under his knocking him down. She giggles and then plops down next to him, playfully bumping her shoulder into his.
------
It seemed like a million years ago now, the memory. But it was only days ago. Light as a feather, and falling for her. The warmth she brought to his icy existence restored a balance long gone. So much healthier than anything he had before. Charlotte was toxic in every way imaginable, and Astryd? Never was real.
But this? It had to be.
He gripped the chair, pushing himself up as he struggled to grasp his surroundings through the fog of opiate and liquor. He set about gathering the empties and throwing them into the waste bin. He knew she’d come. She had to. And he wasn’t going to let her see how bad he could get. Couldn’t let her. Couldn’t let anyone, if we could help it.
About 45 minutes had went by before a rapid light knock on the hotel door to Matt's room could be heard. Pearl stood there clutching the strap of a simple black purse that sling over her shoulder and went all the way down to her waist. "Matt?" Silence for a moment.
Shit. shit. SHIT. Knox opened the closet, setting the wastebin with the empties in it. He wipes his face, and walks to the door. He takes a deep breath, before opening it slowly and staring down at her a moment.
“Hey, Pearl.”
Pearl looks at him confused. The smell of booze hits her. She took one hesitant step forward and then another until she is directly in front him. She laid a hand on one side of his chest and looked up into his eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
“I failed.” He said simply, exhaling a slow sigh as he leaned against the wall, “I fell and I slid. Almost all the way it just...It’s too damn much like last time.”
She shut the door behind them and looked back at him. "You will have another chance. I know you will." She leaned against the wall next to him and took a hold of his arm closest to her. She pulled him down to sit next to her there.
"And next time, you will be better prepared." She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "You win some and you lose some right? But you're stronger now. Even if you can't see it yet." She held onto his arm tightly and squeezed it trying to reassure him. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You are a fantastic wrestler. And very knowledgeable." She stared at him hoping her words comforted him.
But she had felt exactly like this a couple weeks ago. It had felt like the sky had been falling… and there was nowhere to go. No one to turn to. Knox leaned his head over, resting it on top of her own and letting out a sigh.
“I know, i’m sure there’s more. I know i’m good enough. I just…” he lifted his head, lighting thumping it as he leaned back into the wall, “It was identical to the last time I got this far. I’m hurt, probably should be on the shelf. Came close, and then had it slip away. It felt like I was 28 and just lost everything all over again.”
He slurs his words, but his tone is honest. He lets his eyes slide shut as he scoots even closer to her, her warmth bringing him a great comfort.
She stayed quiet a moment as she listened to what he said. After processing his words she shook her head. "Pfft. There's older people than you who are still wrestling. You have plenty of time to earn a belt and get that match you really want. I… I don't know what more to say to make you feel better."
"Ya know. You and someone else have seriously surprised me over the past week or so. There's more than meets the eye…." She went silent again looking to be deep in thought. He chuckles, raising an arm and slinking it over her shoulders, pulling her all the closer.
“Hope whoever it was had a better surprise than I did,” he quipped in a self aware joke “You don’t need to say anything pretty or particular. Just hearin you talk, feelin you by me? It’s soothing all the hurt right out of my bones.”
“So tell me, who surprised you?”
"Ken Davison, that's who," she replied sounding still shocked by it. "And not in a bad way. I guess a good way. Just unexpected."
“Really? What, did he say something human?” Another drunken snort, drunk Matt sure found himself funny, “Did he really not offend you? If he did i’ll go kick his bald head right off his shoulders right….right as soon as I sober up.”
She chuckled and squeezed his arm reassuringly, "No I do not need you to go kick him in his bald head for me. Yeah… he was human. I guess my initial impression of him came from his name." She shook her head, "I still think it is kinda messed up he thinks of himself as 'godly'. But, I think he does it on purpose. He gave me a ton of advice. Surprised he did. I was really expecting him to laugh at me or make fun of me for asking him for advice. He musta said something right though because I beat Alex."
She stood up and kissed the top of his head lightly. Then bounced around the room picking up empty food containers and looked for a glass. "Sometimes life surprises you. Nothing you can do about it cept try to make the best of it." She spotted an empty glass and went to the bathroom to toss the empty food containers into a waste bin there and to get him water. She hasn't even noticed the waste bin from his room is stuffed in his closet hiding secrets.
She took off back to him and held the glass out to him. "It's easier though. With people beside you." She gave him a smile as she looked down at him. Plenty of thoughts went through her head right now, but they could be for another time. He accepts the glass of water, but his free hand shoots out and takes her wrist in it.
“Do you...Do you think I’m good, Pearl? Not as a fighter just...Good, you know?”
She stood there letting her wrist be gripped by him. Her eyes looked deep into his and then she said keeping eye contact. "I think… if I didn't see any good in you, I wouldn't be here. You know, I think your, insightful. And maybe that's why this loss is hurting so much. You see and understand exactly what was at stake for you."
"If I can be honest, I think it's real stupid for anyone to dismiss you. Whether that be in or out of the ring. Sorry I dismissed you when we first met. I… well like I said, I have had plenty of bad experiences with men. But you have always been nice to me no matter how crazy I have been with you. No ones perfect. I am definitely not."
“You are, to me.” he replied plainly, releasing her wrist, setting the water down and getting to his knees, steading himself on the wall. He then wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face into her chest and exhaling slowly, “I don’t...trust easily. I don’t let people in. But you? You, it’s like I...It’s like I’ve known you forever. You’re easy.”
A Pause
“Not..like that I mean….fuck.”
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him. Pearl then leaned her head down over his. "Don't worry I think… I think I know exactly what you mean." She held him a while keeping them both steady. Her eyes watered, she wouldn't tell him why. Not yet. Not this night. She pulled him to his feet and hooked an arm around his waist. "Sleep. If you don't want water. Then sleep. I ain't going anywhere."
“You could stay, you know.” came the suggestive suggestion “It is a King Size bed, i’ll have you know. We could build a fort. Fort Fuck Alex Winter, no douches allowed.”
She laughed just as they reached the bed making her practically drop him onto a side of the bed. "I am staying." She climbed into the bed on the other side of him and covered him with the blanket there. Then she climbed in next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist and held him as she became his big spoon. "Shhhh. Shhhh. Sleep. Just sleep."
For a split second, he felt his heart rate spike. Like it always did, when he thought of her being near.
The Dragon Lady had run towards the address Matt had sent her. From her home, at least the place she called home for now. Dodging traffic and for a moment, she had climbed to a rooftop and jumped rooftop to rooftop laughing and smiling having fun. She knew exactly where she should be right now. And exactly where she wanted to be.
Warming up her muscles wasn't a chore. Not now. Not when she knew she would soon be face to face. With the Raven. Finally she pushed open the doors of warehouse Matt had sent her to
"Matt?" She said low. Probably way too low for him to hear as she took the place in. She walked quietly and quickly through the halls knowing he was somewhere to be found. And after a moment of walking at a fast pace through hallways and doors. She saw him.
Sitting there looking handsome and just perfect. He sat there in the center of the ring looking so peaceful. She almost didn't want to disturb him. But she walked silently towards him pulling herself into the ring. Finally she stood just behind him. She crouched down and put her lips next to his ear. With a soft voice she whispered to him, "I'm here, if you can take me…" then she did a cartwheel backwards and laughed at him in a most teasing way.
Matthew felt the corners of his mouth tug upward into a smile. He tipped backwards, rolling through until he pushed himself to his feet, turning to face her. He looks her over and nods, smiling broader before he spoke, “No trees to hide in this time, Pearl.” and he took a step toward her, guard completely down as it stayed in her presence.
"I don't need trees to hide behind. They happened to conveniently be there," Pearl said as she charged him. Right before she could be caught, she did a spin and did the splits. She used her hands to push herself backwards onto her feet after sliding between Matt's legs. She shoved him with both of her palms right on his back.
Matthew stumbles a bit, but catches himself. He chuckles out loud, turning to her as he speaks “Picking on an old man. Not very noble, Dragon Lady..” and with that, Knox drops down and sweeps her legs out from under her, rolling forward and hovering over her now, a hand on either side of her head.
“I’m gonna have to leave a very disapproving note at your shrine.”
Her eyes narrowed at him. After a moment she sits up and gets back to her feet. She faces him holding her fists in front of her chest, then moves back in. An amazing amount of low kicks to either side of Matt would be seen. Some kicks land others don't depending on how quickly Matt decides to react.
Matthew blocks the first from his kneeling position with his forearms before rolling to his feet, eating a couple but managing to evade a majority of them, he eventually sidesteps and pays her efforts with a snarky smack on her rear, striding toward the ropes and leaning on them as he speaks up, “You always this flustered or am I in your head already, sweetheart?”
At the smack Pearl stumbles forward and catches herself with a top rope. She then uses the ropes to help give her some momentum, as she turns and runs full speed at Matt. When she gets to him she would jump. She lands a foot on one of his thighs. She jumps from there using an arm to wrap around his chest and does an elbow drop using her weight and gravity to help bring him down to his knees. Her elbow has hit smack center into his back.
She lands on her feet lightly behind him breathing a bit heavier now. "You did not have permission to… ugh… spank me," she says into one of his ears feeling quite awkward with herself at the way she has chosen to use her words. He pays her a chuckle, leaning his head back and resting it against hers.
“Seemed like a great idea at the time.”
And with that, he got to his feet twisting out of her grip and sliding behind her, locking in “The Mercy” but applying no pressure, he holds her still a moment before speaking, his tone more of an instructor now than a sharp cheddar romeo.
“Most people panic as soon as they feel my arm by their throat, but this might be the easiest move to get out of. Especially as short as you are. As soon as you feel me get under your arm pit -” he lets her left arm drop, but slides his hand into her arm pit, resting it there and gripping her firmly “- you drop down or you elbow me as fast as you can, spin away from the hand on your neck.”
He leaned in and whispered right into her ear then.
“Don’t tell anyone now, no one else has figured it out yet.”
Her face turned bright red for a moment with his closeness. Then she did exactly as he had told her to do. She dropped down quickly, getting free of his grip. She then sent both hands at him, open palm. And just before each palm would make contact with his collar bones on each side she paused.
Her eyes looked focused. Not on his face, but exactly where she would have hit him. "Pressure points. Something I have been training more on."
She slowly moved a hand to one of his forearms and let her fingertips slid up slowly. Admiring the toned up muscles, until she pressed a thumb softly into a certain spot. "Pain," she said as her eyes moved slowly up his frame letting her fingers slowly glide further up towards his jawline. She pressed with a thumb to another spot. "Paralysis."
Her fingers continued moving. Now she is on her tiptoes as she reached towards his face. Her fingers stopped as she eyes just under his nose. She pressed again with a thumb there. "Knockout." Matthew remains still, trying to calm his own heart rate. He raises a hand, extending one index finger he reaches out and touches the tip of her nose.
“Knockout.” He repeats.
Her eyes lifted to his now. A playful smile makes its way to her lips as she drops down quickly and side sweeps a leg under his knocking him down. She giggles and then plops down next to him, playfully bumping her shoulder into his.
------
It seemed like a million years ago now, the memory. But it was only days ago. Light as a feather, and falling for her. The warmth she brought to his icy existence restored a balance long gone. So much healthier than anything he had before. Charlotte was toxic in every way imaginable, and Astryd? Never was real.
But this? It had to be.
He gripped the chair, pushing himself up as he struggled to grasp his surroundings through the fog of opiate and liquor. He set about gathering the empties and throwing them into the waste bin. He knew she’d come. She had to. And he wasn’t going to let her see how bad he could get. Couldn’t let her. Couldn’t let anyone, if we could help it.
About 45 minutes had went by before a rapid light knock on the hotel door to Matt's room could be heard. Pearl stood there clutching the strap of a simple black purse that sling over her shoulder and went all the way down to her waist. "Matt?" Silence for a moment.
Shit. shit. SHIT. Knox opened the closet, setting the wastebin with the empties in it. He wipes his face, and walks to the door. He takes a deep breath, before opening it slowly and staring down at her a moment.
“Hey, Pearl.”
Pearl looks at him confused. The smell of booze hits her. She took one hesitant step forward and then another until she is directly in front him. She laid a hand on one side of his chest and looked up into his eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
“I failed.” He said simply, exhaling a slow sigh as he leaned against the wall, “I fell and I slid. Almost all the way it just...It’s too damn much like last time.”
She shut the door behind them and looked back at him. "You will have another chance. I know you will." She leaned against the wall next to him and took a hold of his arm closest to her. She pulled him down to sit next to her there.
"And next time, you will be better prepared." She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "You win some and you lose some right? But you're stronger now. Even if you can't see it yet." She held onto his arm tightly and squeezed it trying to reassure him. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You are a fantastic wrestler. And very knowledgeable." She stared at him hoping her words comforted him.
But she had felt exactly like this a couple weeks ago. It had felt like the sky had been falling… and there was nowhere to go. No one to turn to. Knox leaned his head over, resting it on top of her own and letting out a sigh.
“I know, i’m sure there’s more. I know i’m good enough. I just…” he lifted his head, lighting thumping it as he leaned back into the wall, “It was identical to the last time I got this far. I’m hurt, probably should be on the shelf. Came close, and then had it slip away. It felt like I was 28 and just lost everything all over again.”
He slurs his words, but his tone is honest. He lets his eyes slide shut as he scoots even closer to her, her warmth bringing him a great comfort.
She stayed quiet a moment as she listened to what he said. After processing his words she shook her head. "Pfft. There's older people than you who are still wrestling. You have plenty of time to earn a belt and get that match you really want. I… I don't know what more to say to make you feel better."
"Ya know. You and someone else have seriously surprised me over the past week or so. There's more than meets the eye…." She went silent again looking to be deep in thought. He chuckles, raising an arm and slinking it over her shoulders, pulling her all the closer.
“Hope whoever it was had a better surprise than I did,” he quipped in a self aware joke “You don’t need to say anything pretty or particular. Just hearin you talk, feelin you by me? It’s soothing all the hurt right out of my bones.”
“So tell me, who surprised you?”
"Ken Davison, that's who," she replied sounding still shocked by it. "And not in a bad way. I guess a good way. Just unexpected."
“Really? What, did he say something human?” Another drunken snort, drunk Matt sure found himself funny, “Did he really not offend you? If he did i’ll go kick his bald head right off his shoulders right….right as soon as I sober up.”
She chuckled and squeezed his arm reassuringly, "No I do not need you to go kick him in his bald head for me. Yeah… he was human. I guess my initial impression of him came from his name." She shook her head, "I still think it is kinda messed up he thinks of himself as 'godly'. But, I think he does it on purpose. He gave me a ton of advice. Surprised he did. I was really expecting him to laugh at me or make fun of me for asking him for advice. He musta said something right though because I beat Alex."
She stood up and kissed the top of his head lightly. Then bounced around the room picking up empty food containers and looked for a glass. "Sometimes life surprises you. Nothing you can do about it cept try to make the best of it." She spotted an empty glass and went to the bathroom to toss the empty food containers into a waste bin there and to get him water. She hasn't even noticed the waste bin from his room is stuffed in his closet hiding secrets.
She took off back to him and held the glass out to him. "It's easier though. With people beside you." She gave him a smile as she looked down at him. Plenty of thoughts went through her head right now, but they could be for another time. He accepts the glass of water, but his free hand shoots out and takes her wrist in it.
“Do you...Do you think I’m good, Pearl? Not as a fighter just...Good, you know?”
She stood there letting her wrist be gripped by him. Her eyes looked deep into his and then she said keeping eye contact. "I think… if I didn't see any good in you, I wouldn't be here. You know, I think your, insightful. And maybe that's why this loss is hurting so much. You see and understand exactly what was at stake for you."
"If I can be honest, I think it's real stupid for anyone to dismiss you. Whether that be in or out of the ring. Sorry I dismissed you when we first met. I… well like I said, I have had plenty of bad experiences with men. But you have always been nice to me no matter how crazy I have been with you. No ones perfect. I am definitely not."
“You are, to me.” he replied plainly, releasing her wrist, setting the water down and getting to his knees, steading himself on the wall. He then wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face into her chest and exhaling slowly, “I don’t...trust easily. I don’t let people in. But you? You, it’s like I...It’s like I’ve known you forever. You’re easy.”
A Pause
“Not..like that I mean….fuck.”
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him. Pearl then leaned her head down over his. "Don't worry I think… I think I know exactly what you mean." She held him a while keeping them both steady. Her eyes watered, she wouldn't tell him why. Not yet. Not this night. She pulled him to his feet and hooked an arm around his waist. "Sleep. If you don't want water. Then sleep. I ain't going anywhere."
“You could stay, you know.” came the suggestive suggestion “It is a King Size bed, i’ll have you know. We could build a fort. Fort Fuck Alex Winter, no douches allowed.”
She laughed just as they reached the bed making her practically drop him onto a side of the bed. "I am staying." She climbed into the bed on the other side of him and covered him with the blanket there. Then she climbed in next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist and held him as she became his big spoon. "Shhhh. Shhhh. Sleep. Just sleep."