M A G I C - K I N G D O M
Dec 10, 2020 22:08:45 GMT -5
The Madness Menagerie, mystifyingoracle, and 1 more like this
Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2020 22:08:45 GMT -5
O N E
Adrienne Levi could hear the excitement of the tag team championship bout reverberating throughout the arena. Well, if you didn’t account for the dozens of tacks lodged in her boots and duct tape layered jumpsuit. The goggles ended up being a detriment. When Raab had shattered them, he marked up her face real good. Her body was sore from that monster tossing her about like a ragdoll.
However, the medical staff had more pressing matters, so she was left to deal with this by herself.
So there she was, in a small room away from everyone, wincing as she slowly picked out what tacks she could reach. Her palms were covered in pinhole-sized wounds and while the tape helped, her lower back and ...lower felt the prick of those steel tacks as they had bored through the protection.
Plink.
That was a noise as the tacks went into a bucket at her feet.
“Hey! Hey, back off, I got credentials!”
Ade recognized that voice. Someone, just doing their job, must have stopped her.
“Please,” she said with a hint of pain, “let her in.”
“You heard the lady, move over, dangit!”
She burst in the door like a tiny blonde whirlwind, slamming it shut behind her and grinning sheepishly. She was wearing an Adrienne Levi t-shirt freshly purchased from the merch counter over a purple and white striped long-sleeved shirt, skinny distressed jeans, and gold and pink sneakers that squeaked against the floor when she skidded inside. The room was small- a cabinet full of medical supplies, a table and chair, a gurney, and a television mounted on the wall, currently showing the tag match.
Sylvia Gould’s grin quickly faded to an expression of concern, her hand half reaching out.
“Are you okay? … That’s a dumb question. Um… can I help with those?”
Ade wasn’t surprised that Silvie was here. She was hoping to meet her after her match and they could run off into the night, giggling. But then Christopher James had decided that she should have her first taste of ultraviolence.
“This was a bad idea.”
The tape had served her its purpose. But she didn’t consider the aftermath.
“The doctor left before I could ask. I need help getting my boots off.”
Her cheeks colored, a stark contrast to her pale skin. Absolutely embarrassed to be making this request.
“And the rest. This thing is ruined.”
Silvie blushed as well, running a hand through her blonde mane. Ordinarily, this would be a playful situation. Romantic. Sexy, even. Unfortunately, most people didn’t find thumbtacks to be particularly titillating unless they had serious problems.
“Sure. Just tell me where you want me to start. I’ll be really careful, I don’t want you to get stuck anymore than you already have.”
She frowned, making a small sad noise.
“Your poor hands. I’m so sorry you had to go through this.”
Adrienne shook her head.
“It’s okay.”
The match was truly terrifying. Markus Raab had been relentless in his pursuit to destroy her. But he didn’t. She held her own and fought back.
“Could have been worse.”
She motioned to the table where the championship was just sticking out of her backpack.
“Anyway, my boots, please. I can’t reach the laces.”
“That’s true.”
Kneeling, Silvie worked nimble-fingered at the laces, untying them with practiced hands. One got the impression that she could lace and unlace a pair of wrestling boots with her eyes closed.
“A friend of mine once broke his leg real bad in a match at the biggest show of the year and was out for months, and that was kind of a miracle. People don’t always come back from that. From… less than that, even.”
Adrienne knew that this was tough. This was only the second show she had attended. Prior to that, this industry had been a sore subject. Old wounds ached more than ever.
There was a sigh of relief as the first boot came off.
“I’m sorry. I feel kinda selfish for getting you involved with this again.”
“Don’t be.”
Silvie smiled softly, setting to work on the other boot.
“It didn’t feel right. Shoving this side of me in a closet and trying to forget about it, I mean. I love it as much as I ever did, it just hurt to think about not being part of it anymore. I thought if I couldn’t be part of it, being involved at all would be too painful.”
With a tug, the second boot came free, and Silvie set it aside with its twin before looking up, smiling.
“Thanks to you, I know that’s not true at all.”
That was the sprout poking through the dirt. Adrienne wanted to get this very special person back into the industry. She just wasn’t sure how. Champion or not, nobody at this place that could do anything paid her any mind. But she’d figure it out one day.
Ade’s smile was laced with a grimace.
“I think I got enough of these darned tacks out to peel this off.”
“Okay. Let’s get you out of this thing.”
Once the Baltimore Champion had her back turned, Silvie grabbed hold of the little silver tab at the base of Ade’s neck and pulled down. Thankfully the zipper was intact, but pushing the rest of it off was a tricky affair. Despite the duct tape reinforcements, the suit was shredded- better that than Ade’s skin, Silvie thought- and all but completely fell apart as it was removed, leaving the older woman in a set of tasteful black cotton underthings. A few stray tacks came loose from their lycra and duct tape moorings, clinking against the linoleum.
“There you go. Feel better?”
At the most vulnerable Adrienne had been in a long time, she nodded solemnly.
“Yeah.”
Turning to face Silvie, they were inches apart. Adrienne’s gaze diverted nervously from Silvie’s vivid blue eyes. She laughed nervously.
“Sorry I missed you before the show. I got your text but I was preoccupied with … well, you know.”
“Oh, psssh. I thought you might be, which is why I didn’t try to barge in before you went out. I know the deal. The right headspace is important.”
Humming a little, Silvie politely averted her eyes while Ade got dressed in comfy oversized sweats and slip-on sneakers, not-so-subtly sneaking a peek a few times before opening a small backpack that she’d brought with her.
“I know we’re probably gonna swing by your place, and that’s fine because I doubt you brought your suitcases with you and we have a few hours before we have to be at the airport. But I brought something for us beforehand.”
Sweeping an arm from the bag, Silvie presented a pair of headbands, each with two large, circular peppermint swirl-like pieces attached to the sides and a large, glittery bow in the center- peppermint candy Minnie Mouse ears. One headband had red swirls and a green bow, the other green swirls and a red bow.
“Ta-daaaaa!”
Ade gasped with excitement. Her fingers hovered the one with the green ears.
“Can I?”
“Absolutely!”
Silvie giggled, a bit Minnie-like herself, as she slipped the red swirled ears on. Once they were in place, she stood on tiptoe and leaned forward to slip Ade’s green pair into her dark hair. Straightening them, she let her hands slip downward to Ade’s cheeks, closing her eyes and leaning in slightly.
A feeling, like a volt, shot through Adrienne’s mind. She had promised to be just this. This match. The show. Everything washed away as she closed her eyes. Surrendered to the desire.
They were backed against the table. She shouldn’t, part of Silvie piped up. But she ignored that part. It’d been what felt like forever since she saw Ade last, and the interim had been peppered with conversation, some of a very... Intense sort. Recollections of descriptions, whispers, and gasps echoed in her ears.
She kissed just a little bit harder. A little more urgently.
Adrienne was receptive as she traipsed into the unknown. There was a sudden knock at the door. This was, after all, a trainer’s room.
Breathlessly, she murmured as they parted for just a moment, “We gotta go…”
Blushing, a little disheveled, and Minnie ears askew, Silvie giggled, nodding. She pulled away but kept hold of one of Ade’s hands.
“To be continued. C’mon, I’ll give you a lift back to your place.”