Post by The Madness Menagerie on Jan 7, 2021 21:37:38 GMT -5
Specail shoutout to mystifyingoracle for the collab! Always a pleasure to work with you and looking forward to the future!
After her conversation with Zephyr, Belle did some digging, and being the inquisitive mind that she is, found all the information that she was looking for. At least, Grace King’s basic contact information. While the higher-ups in Carnage would want an in-depth interview eventually with Grace, Belle was after more personal matters. She had so many questions to answer for herself and all of her thoughts were compounding upon one another, clouding all the important issues. If she just could see how Grace was coping, maybe they could help each other?
Or Belle would be learning and owe a girl a fancy dinner and night out on the town when everything was said and done. It didn’t matter. Zephyr made Belle happy and it didn’t matter the cost, monetary or otherwise, Zeph was worth every ounce. Belle was going to get through this one way or another, she would just prefer it be with someone going through similar circumstances.
“The Bun Shop” was Belle’s favorite local coffee place, if not for the name, but the small-town feel in the middle of a downtown area. People behind the counter were friendly and the coffee was as good as it could get. The cinnamon buns were to die for and Belle would be lying if she told anyone she didn’t visit multiple times in a week. Choosing a table that was secluded enough she would have some semblance of privacy, but out in the open so that Grace wouldn’t feel like she was being pulled into a trap, Belle sits with her favorite coffee order and one of the oversized cinnamon buns that Belle starts to pick apart with a fork. She keeps a casual eye on the door as she enjoys the smells of the coffee house and the general banter throughout the building.
Throughout much of her career, coffee shops had doubled as Grace’s workspace. It wasn’t that she didn’t have a perfectly fine home office, but there was something about being in her apartment that tempted her to distraction. Being out gave her a sense of purpose and helped her focus. The caffeine also didn’t hurt matters. A new city would offer new opportunities for café cruising, and so far The Bun Shop was not disappointing. Grace breathes in the air redolent with cinnamon, coffee, and tantalizing, fattening, sugar-coated carbs.
If she could just get a shot of whiskey in this place, it’d be a utopia.
Glancing about, she brightens as she spots Belle and heads over to her table.
“Hey! Good to meet you!”
Belle quickly swallows the bite of a cinnamon roll and smiles, getting up and offering a handshake and a chair to Grace, “Likewise! I have to say, thank you SO much for accepting this invite! I hope you don’t mind, I know you’ve only just got into town…” Belle takes a deep breath and slows down before blushing, “Truth be told I honestly wasn’t expecting you to accept. You’ve had so much going on I’m sure and I didn’t want you to think I was just some reporter looking for the next biggest headline…”
“Not at all,” Grace assures Belle, shaking her hand. “Things have been pretty crazy lately, but I feel like talking with someone might help put me on an even keel.” She raises a brow as she takes her seat. “And I’m sure there’s plenty you could fill me in on that I wouldn’t be able to find out from recorded footage and rumors online.”
Belle laughs, suddenly at ease as she sits back and takes another drink of coffee, “Evil cults, arrogant and negligent bosses, the drama around every corner, and no offense meant, probably one of the scariest people I’ve seen in recent memory in King…” Belle pauses afraid that she insulted her company. Hoping to ease any tensions, Belle offers an apologetic look and nudges her plate with a mostly intact cinnamon bun, knife and fork set off to the side, “Try it. There’s no way I’ll be able to finish this on my own and I’ll be happy to answer whatever questions you might have about your new surroundings. Hell, this will be a nice change of pace from what I usually do.”
“Don’t mind if I do!” Grace coos, happily digging in. “Mmph and don’t worry. Everyone’s afraid of him at first. Then they find out he’s a huge nerd who likes poetry and things generally chill out unless he decides to be a smart ass.” Shaking her head, she flags down a waitress, putting in an order for an iced coffee before looking back at Belle. “But I wouldn’t mind you describing what it was like when he first got here and how it’s been since.”
Belle’s face pales as memories of King’s monstrous emergence onto the Carnage scene flooded her senses. “He was… Is… I don’t know how much of that match at Ultimate Carnage you saw, but that was him at his most violent. He put people in the hospital and… To be honest with you I’ve kept my distance just for fear for my safety…” She pauses as she remembers the real reason she called Grace for this meeting, “As frightening as he’s been, he also seems to have lit a fire under some of the talents. People look to him as a challenge. A mountain to overcome. Don’t want a title belt? Try to beat the monster.” Belle shrugs as she rips a piece of the cinnamon bun with her fork and chews on it thoughtfully before washing it down with some coffee, “My girlfriend… She firmly believes she’s going to be the one to do it.”
Grace nods, taking in Belle’s words with a calculating look in her icy blue eyes. “You don’t need to worry about being around me. Kane doesn’t mind and even if he did, nobody tells me who I can and can’t talk with. Honestly, though, he’s had nothing but good things to say about you and Zephyr. If any people on the roster are capable of taking three seconds of hubby’s time, I’d say your lady’s on the shortlist.”
Belle nods, chewing on her bottom lip in thought before taking a drink. Seeming to have come to a mental discussion with herself, Belle finally nods in self-confirmation before breaking the silence, “Honestly? I do not doubt Zephyr’s ability to do what she says. I’m…” She pauses, looking away and then plowing forward, “I’m more worried about the result. She comes from her checkered past of being the subject of horrific experiments. She KNOWS she’s a monster and is embracing it. I…?” Belle sighs in defeat, “I’m scared about losing the Zephyr I fell in love with. Scared she’ll start to love violence more than me.” Belle shakes her head, holding back tears that have threatened her stronger than steel appearance for a time now.
“I’m sorry. Carnage went through a lot, myself included in 2020, and I’m just worried.”
“Oh my gaawwwd the monster thing,” Grace groans, slumping a little in her seat. “So many of you here are eager to label yourselves monsters. Even Kane’s cute little former roomie and he’s about as monstrous as a chinchilla. Listen, Belle,” the author says, leaning forward. “Your girl? Is normal. Same as Kane, no matter what he might rumble all Byronic about. I’m not diminishing what happened to them. They’re probably going to have unique needs for their physical and mental health for the rest of their lives and I don’t take that lightly. But they’re still just normal. Most folks have a hard time seeing past the otherness because it’s so physically pronounced, but once you get over that, they’re just ordinary human beings. And I get the feeling your Zephyr is probably as romantic as my big, sappy Sugar Kane. Something that core to their being isn’t so easily gotten rid of.” Grace beams at the waitress returning with her iced coffee. Sipping from it, she hums. “She keeps coming back to you, right?”
Belle nods, after thinking about it briefly, "She hasn't given me a reason to believe she'd leave. It's just… I've seen what those two are capable of and while they might not be 'monsters' by a standard definition, I can't imagine a 'normal' human being responsible for putting so many people in the hospital, or borderline killing a person. I watched Zephyr’s war against her sisters and I've seen the violence she is capable of. If you don't mind my picking of your brain, how are you able to make peace with it? I love Zephyr and there's no denying that, but when she hits that stride and she starts fighting with that look of bloodlust in her eyes, I don't know if that's her, if that makes sense?"
“Violence is a natural compulsion,” Grace says with a little shrug. “And while it’s an unusual occupation our significant others participate in, it’s something to which they’ve both consented.” She taps her chin gently with one fingertip. “I don’t see the capacity for that kind of violence as being antithetical to who Kane is. It’s a passion that’s channeled into that particular set of actions. I’ve seen him be equally passionate about other things. I tell my stories with my books, he tells his stories in the ring. It’s just a different medium.”
Belle’s eyes are wide as she stares, catches herself, blinks, and shakes her head clear. “That makes a lot of sense. I’ve been known to sabotage things when they start getting too good. Maybe I’m just scared to be happy…” Belle takes a drink thoughtfully before shaking her head again, “Listen… Thank you so much for this! I kind of feel bad because I didn’t mean to unload on you like this or offend you with any of the ‘monster’ talks from earlier. I just don’t know how to be this level of ‘happy’ and you’re the only person I could think of to talk to that would be able to relate…”
Belle gathers her things up and smiles over at Grace, “Well, now that I’ve had my free therapy session for the day, I feel like I owe you a day of exploration in this great city of Baltimore. Shopping and giving you the grand tour, lunch, of course, will be on me, unless of course, you have something else on your plate?”
“I’m certainly not going to turn down an opportunity to get out and about and know the city,” Grace says, finishing off her coffee and slinging her purse strap over one shoulder. “We’re thinking of getting a place out here, so no time like the present to check out the neighborhood.” Pausing a moment, she reapplies her lipstick, grins at Belle, and says, “Lead the way.”
With one last bite of her cinnamon roll, Belle returns the smile and takes care of the dishes before leading the way to the door. “OH! If you’re looking for a place to stay, I know about the PERFECT neighborhood to call home. Quiet, kind of out of the way but still close enough that getting to everything wouldn’t be an issue. I don’t know how you feel about public transportation but traffic into and out of the city can sometimes be a beast…”
The two women leave “The Bun Shop” and head into the city streets beyond…
Later…
After an exhausting yet fun-filled day showing Grace around Baltimore, Belle arrives back at her apartment. Unlocking the door, she sets some bags to the side of the door and realizes Zephyr’s luggage packed and ready on the side of the door, “Zeph?” Belle’s voice is quiet and uncertain, her eyes wide as she sees Zephyr get up from where she was waiting and stride over to her.
“I know I sent you on a soul searching mission and I can’t be selfish when it comes to you Belle, you know that. I know that. I won’t sit and watch you question us though. You need your space ya know? Work some of this out on your own. Mac gave me keys to his place, said I have free reign. That’s where you’ll find me when you make your decision. No matter what, I want to be there for you if you’ll have me.” Zephyr smiles sadly, grabs her bags, and gives Belle a peck on the cheek.
Belle’s lip quivers and Zephyr puts a finger on them lightly, pressing her forehead to Belle’s. “This isn’t forever and with every fiber of my being, I hope that you choose me, you choose US. Please, take whatever time you need and just let me know either way, ok?”
Belle nods and her tears begin to fall. Zephyr brushes them lightly away with her thumbs, “I want you happy Belle, you deserve that and so much more. Call me?” Belle nods and Zephyr presses her head against Belle’s again, holding back her tears as her body tenses and releases, unsure how to handle the sudden overflow of emotion. Nodding, Zephyr finally breaks away and walks out of Belle’s apartment, leaving Belle alone as the tears begin to fall and the door clicks shut behind her.
After her conversation with Zephyr, Belle did some digging, and being the inquisitive mind that she is, found all the information that she was looking for. At least, Grace King’s basic contact information. While the higher-ups in Carnage would want an in-depth interview eventually with Grace, Belle was after more personal matters. She had so many questions to answer for herself and all of her thoughts were compounding upon one another, clouding all the important issues. If she just could see how Grace was coping, maybe they could help each other?
Or Belle would be learning and owe a girl a fancy dinner and night out on the town when everything was said and done. It didn’t matter. Zephyr made Belle happy and it didn’t matter the cost, monetary or otherwise, Zeph was worth every ounce. Belle was going to get through this one way or another, she would just prefer it be with someone going through similar circumstances.
“The Bun Shop” was Belle’s favorite local coffee place, if not for the name, but the small-town feel in the middle of a downtown area. People behind the counter were friendly and the coffee was as good as it could get. The cinnamon buns were to die for and Belle would be lying if she told anyone she didn’t visit multiple times in a week. Choosing a table that was secluded enough she would have some semblance of privacy, but out in the open so that Grace wouldn’t feel like she was being pulled into a trap, Belle sits with her favorite coffee order and one of the oversized cinnamon buns that Belle starts to pick apart with a fork. She keeps a casual eye on the door as she enjoys the smells of the coffee house and the general banter throughout the building.
Throughout much of her career, coffee shops had doubled as Grace’s workspace. It wasn’t that she didn’t have a perfectly fine home office, but there was something about being in her apartment that tempted her to distraction. Being out gave her a sense of purpose and helped her focus. The caffeine also didn’t hurt matters. A new city would offer new opportunities for café cruising, and so far The Bun Shop was not disappointing. Grace breathes in the air redolent with cinnamon, coffee, and tantalizing, fattening, sugar-coated carbs.
If she could just get a shot of whiskey in this place, it’d be a utopia.
Glancing about, she brightens as she spots Belle and heads over to her table.
“Hey! Good to meet you!”
Belle quickly swallows the bite of a cinnamon roll and smiles, getting up and offering a handshake and a chair to Grace, “Likewise! I have to say, thank you SO much for accepting this invite! I hope you don’t mind, I know you’ve only just got into town…” Belle takes a deep breath and slows down before blushing, “Truth be told I honestly wasn’t expecting you to accept. You’ve had so much going on I’m sure and I didn’t want you to think I was just some reporter looking for the next biggest headline…”
“Not at all,” Grace assures Belle, shaking her hand. “Things have been pretty crazy lately, but I feel like talking with someone might help put me on an even keel.” She raises a brow as she takes her seat. “And I’m sure there’s plenty you could fill me in on that I wouldn’t be able to find out from recorded footage and rumors online.”
Belle laughs, suddenly at ease as she sits back and takes another drink of coffee, “Evil cults, arrogant and negligent bosses, the drama around every corner, and no offense meant, probably one of the scariest people I’ve seen in recent memory in King…” Belle pauses afraid that she insulted her company. Hoping to ease any tensions, Belle offers an apologetic look and nudges her plate with a mostly intact cinnamon bun, knife and fork set off to the side, “Try it. There’s no way I’ll be able to finish this on my own and I’ll be happy to answer whatever questions you might have about your new surroundings. Hell, this will be a nice change of pace from what I usually do.”
“Don’t mind if I do!” Grace coos, happily digging in. “Mmph and don’t worry. Everyone’s afraid of him at first. Then they find out he’s a huge nerd who likes poetry and things generally chill out unless he decides to be a smart ass.” Shaking her head, she flags down a waitress, putting in an order for an iced coffee before looking back at Belle. “But I wouldn’t mind you describing what it was like when he first got here and how it’s been since.”
Belle’s face pales as memories of King’s monstrous emergence onto the Carnage scene flooded her senses. “He was… Is… I don’t know how much of that match at Ultimate Carnage you saw, but that was him at his most violent. He put people in the hospital and… To be honest with you I’ve kept my distance just for fear for my safety…” She pauses as she remembers the real reason she called Grace for this meeting, “As frightening as he’s been, he also seems to have lit a fire under some of the talents. People look to him as a challenge. A mountain to overcome. Don’t want a title belt? Try to beat the monster.” Belle shrugs as she rips a piece of the cinnamon bun with her fork and chews on it thoughtfully before washing it down with some coffee, “My girlfriend… She firmly believes she’s going to be the one to do it.”
Grace nods, taking in Belle’s words with a calculating look in her icy blue eyes. “You don’t need to worry about being around me. Kane doesn’t mind and even if he did, nobody tells me who I can and can’t talk with. Honestly, though, he’s had nothing but good things to say about you and Zephyr. If any people on the roster are capable of taking three seconds of hubby’s time, I’d say your lady’s on the shortlist.”
Belle nods, chewing on her bottom lip in thought before taking a drink. Seeming to have come to a mental discussion with herself, Belle finally nods in self-confirmation before breaking the silence, “Honestly? I do not doubt Zephyr’s ability to do what she says. I’m…” She pauses, looking away and then plowing forward, “I’m more worried about the result. She comes from her checkered past of being the subject of horrific experiments. She KNOWS she’s a monster and is embracing it. I…?” Belle sighs in defeat, “I’m scared about losing the Zephyr I fell in love with. Scared she’ll start to love violence more than me.” Belle shakes her head, holding back tears that have threatened her stronger than steel appearance for a time now.
“I’m sorry. Carnage went through a lot, myself included in 2020, and I’m just worried.”
“Oh my gaawwwd the monster thing,” Grace groans, slumping a little in her seat. “So many of you here are eager to label yourselves monsters. Even Kane’s cute little former roomie and he’s about as monstrous as a chinchilla. Listen, Belle,” the author says, leaning forward. “Your girl? Is normal. Same as Kane, no matter what he might rumble all Byronic about. I’m not diminishing what happened to them. They’re probably going to have unique needs for their physical and mental health for the rest of their lives and I don’t take that lightly. But they’re still just normal. Most folks have a hard time seeing past the otherness because it’s so physically pronounced, but once you get over that, they’re just ordinary human beings. And I get the feeling your Zephyr is probably as romantic as my big, sappy Sugar Kane. Something that core to their being isn’t so easily gotten rid of.” Grace beams at the waitress returning with her iced coffee. Sipping from it, she hums. “She keeps coming back to you, right?”
Belle nods, after thinking about it briefly, "She hasn't given me a reason to believe she'd leave. It's just… I've seen what those two are capable of and while they might not be 'monsters' by a standard definition, I can't imagine a 'normal' human being responsible for putting so many people in the hospital, or borderline killing a person. I watched Zephyr’s war against her sisters and I've seen the violence she is capable of. If you don't mind my picking of your brain, how are you able to make peace with it? I love Zephyr and there's no denying that, but when she hits that stride and she starts fighting with that look of bloodlust in her eyes, I don't know if that's her, if that makes sense?"
“Violence is a natural compulsion,” Grace says with a little shrug. “And while it’s an unusual occupation our significant others participate in, it’s something to which they’ve both consented.” She taps her chin gently with one fingertip. “I don’t see the capacity for that kind of violence as being antithetical to who Kane is. It’s a passion that’s channeled into that particular set of actions. I’ve seen him be equally passionate about other things. I tell my stories with my books, he tells his stories in the ring. It’s just a different medium.”
Belle’s eyes are wide as she stares, catches herself, blinks, and shakes her head clear. “That makes a lot of sense. I’ve been known to sabotage things when they start getting too good. Maybe I’m just scared to be happy…” Belle takes a drink thoughtfully before shaking her head again, “Listen… Thank you so much for this! I kind of feel bad because I didn’t mean to unload on you like this or offend you with any of the ‘monster’ talks from earlier. I just don’t know how to be this level of ‘happy’ and you’re the only person I could think of to talk to that would be able to relate…”
Belle gathers her things up and smiles over at Grace, “Well, now that I’ve had my free therapy session for the day, I feel like I owe you a day of exploration in this great city of Baltimore. Shopping and giving you the grand tour, lunch, of course, will be on me, unless of course, you have something else on your plate?”
“I’m certainly not going to turn down an opportunity to get out and about and know the city,” Grace says, finishing off her coffee and slinging her purse strap over one shoulder. “We’re thinking of getting a place out here, so no time like the present to check out the neighborhood.” Pausing a moment, she reapplies her lipstick, grins at Belle, and says, “Lead the way.”
With one last bite of her cinnamon roll, Belle returns the smile and takes care of the dishes before leading the way to the door. “OH! If you’re looking for a place to stay, I know about the PERFECT neighborhood to call home. Quiet, kind of out of the way but still close enough that getting to everything wouldn’t be an issue. I don’t know how you feel about public transportation but traffic into and out of the city can sometimes be a beast…”
The two women leave “The Bun Shop” and head into the city streets beyond…
Later…
After an exhausting yet fun-filled day showing Grace around Baltimore, Belle arrives back at her apartment. Unlocking the door, she sets some bags to the side of the door and realizes Zephyr’s luggage packed and ready on the side of the door, “Zeph?” Belle’s voice is quiet and uncertain, her eyes wide as she sees Zephyr get up from where she was waiting and stride over to her.
“I know I sent you on a soul searching mission and I can’t be selfish when it comes to you Belle, you know that. I know that. I won’t sit and watch you question us though. You need your space ya know? Work some of this out on your own. Mac gave me keys to his place, said I have free reign. That’s where you’ll find me when you make your decision. No matter what, I want to be there for you if you’ll have me.” Zephyr smiles sadly, grabs her bags, and gives Belle a peck on the cheek.
Belle’s lip quivers and Zephyr puts a finger on them lightly, pressing her forehead to Belle’s. “This isn’t forever and with every fiber of my being, I hope that you choose me, you choose US. Please, take whatever time you need and just let me know either way, ok?”
Belle nods and her tears begin to fall. Zephyr brushes them lightly away with her thumbs, “I want you happy Belle, you deserve that and so much more. Call me?” Belle nods and Zephyr presses her head against Belle’s again, holding back her tears as her body tenses and releases, unsure how to handle the sudden overflow of emotion. Nodding, Zephyr finally breaks away and walks out of Belle’s apartment, leaving Belle alone as the tears begin to fall and the door clicks shut behind her.