Post by kjcasey42 on Dec 6, 2022 0:27:03 GMT
(NOTE: This is supposed to take place roughly a week after All Hallows Evil. Sorry for dragging my feet)
Kate Grimm and Taffy Black exchange nervous glances at each other through their peripheral vision seated across from their boss and Commissioner of FAWN, Bethany Christian, as she raps her knuckles on the desk, staring a hole through the pair. This has been the scene for the last minute, possibly two minutes; sitting across from the Commissioner in dead silence, waiting to hear their punishment following their heinous attack on Kanako Akiyama and Trixie Decker following the All Hallows Evil pay per view, Bethany’s body language very clearly communicating barely contained fury.
“Give me one good reason,” Bethany finally says, slowly and deliberately, “why I shouldn’t fire the both of you right now for that stunt you pulled.”
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Taffy finally speaks up, “Ain’t the first time in this company that somebody’s been jumped after hours.”
“True,” Bethany concedes, “However, to the best of my memory, no victim of such attacks had ever had to be put in a MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA for EMERGENCY SURGERY to reduce SWELLING IN HER BRAIN!!!” Grimm and Black both wince as Bethany’s voice rises in volume and force before she takes a moment to compose herself. “You didn’t just cross the line, Miss Black; you dove over it like a bullet train! You are seemingly blessed with preternatural luck, Miss Black, for if Miss Akiyama hadn’t turned her head at the last possible moment, you likely would be staring down the barrel of a murder charge right now. And believe me,” she adds, glaring at the pair, “I would’ve had no problem throwing both of you to the wolves in such a scenario.”
“Miss Christian?” Kate finally speaks up, honest contrition in her voice, “May I speak?” Bethany glares at Kate, but she nods, allowing the pair to present some sort of defense for their actions, “Please, don’t punish Taffy for something that’s my fault.” This plea elicits a look of shock from Taffy and a raised eyebrow from Bethany. “The attack was my idea,” Kate continues, “and I let things get out of hand. Taffy was just doing what she thought I wanted. If you’re gonna punish someone, it ought to be the one responsible for what happened, and that’s me.”
Taffy stares at Kate, wide-eyed and mouth agape. In her entire life, nobody has ever stood up for her the way that Kate just has, and she has been struck speechless, completely at a loss for something to say on her behalf. Meanwhile Bethany is tapping a finger on her desk, turning over Kate’s words in her mind. “Hmm…” she finally says, “Interesting. Be that as it may, as I said, one or both of you appears to be blessed with otherworldly luck. I was just on the phone with Miss Akiyama not an hour ago. Apparently, the first thing she asked for after she woke up - once she had calmed down enough, that is - was her phone to speak to me. And it will delight you to know that she doesn’t intend to press charges against either of you.”
This revelation brought a smug smirk to Taffy’s face, convinced that she just got away with something. However, the older, more experienced Kate looked at Bethany with a raised eyebrow, then over to Taffy, “Wipe that smirk off yer face, Taf’!” she scolded her partner in crime before turning back to the Boss, “Akiyama didn’t do that out of the kindness of her heart, so what’s the catch?”
“Very astute, Miss Grimm,” Bethany nods, grudgingly praising the ex-cage fighter, “I can see why you’re the brains of this team. She wants her pound of flesh, and she means to take it, from you, Miss Black, one on one. And at Season’s Beatings, she’s going to have that chance.”
The idea of getting Kanako alone in the ring brings a wicked grin to Taffy’s face, but Kate looks confused, “Season’s Beatings? Not Cold November Pain?”
Bethany shakes her head, “That’s my call. I’m giving Miss Akiyama an extra month to be fully cleared and recovered for this match. And as for you two…” Her gaze falls on Taffy, her smugness not escaping her notice, “Until that match happens, consider yourselves suspended, not only for the attack itself, but for your own safety as well. Miss Akiyama has many friends whom no doubt might seek out a measure of revenge on her behalf. Beyond that, crossing the line as you have, tends to unite a locker room against you, as they tend to police themselves.” Taffy’s expression turns grim, while Kate nods in acknowledgement, “Very well,” Bethany concludes, taking their silence as assent, “you may go now. If anything else is required, I will give you a call.”
At that point, Taffy nudges Kate, who seems to snap out of her thoughts, “Oh, right…Uh, Miss Christian?” Bethany looks up at her with annoyance that the pair were still there, “Um...Miss de Cyr called us a couple days ago, and asked us to be a part of a “big match” she has planned for CNP…” Kate explains, which brings a frown to the Commissioner’s face.
“Anceline…” she growls, eyes closed and pinching the bridge of her nose, “what the devil are you up to now?” After an exasperated sigh, Bethany opens her eyes to look at the pair once more, “Very well. You may participate in whatever farce Miss de Cyr has planned. But you are to keep yourselves hidden before the match, and after the match is done, you are to leave immediately and not come back until Season’s Beatings. Are we clear?” They both nod, “Good. Now go. Now!”
Not wanting to push their luck, they nod and quickly rise from their chairs and make their exit. Once they’re in the hallway, Taffy’s smug smirk returns, “Damn! That went way better than I thought it would go!” she chuckles.
“Is that what you think?” Kate demands, clearly in no mood for a celebration.
“Well, yeah!” Taffy answers, oblivious to Kate’s demeanor, “Not only are we not fired, but I get a chance to ruin that little twerp even more!”
“Listen to me!” Kate finally blurts out, “Haven’t you learned anything from being in the ring with her?!” Taffy looks at her with a confused expression, head tilted, “You KNOW how fast she is! You KNOW how strong she is! You KNOW how hard she hits! Dismissing Kanako Akiyama because of how much smaller she is than you is a recipe for disaster!”
“Aw, c’mon, Kate, it ain’t like that!” Taffy replies, “Yeah, she’s strong, but I’m stronger! Yeah, she’s plenty tough, but I’m tougher! And besides, with you in my corner, I can’t lose!”
Kate shakes her head in exasperation, “Were you not paying attention in there?! Miss Christian is gonna be watching both of us like a hawk, to make sure Akiyama has her shot at you without any interference! I’m probably not even gonna be allowed to come out with ya.” Taffy’s expression shifts to one of disappointment as Kate shrugs and ends with, “You’re gonna be on your own this time, Taf’.”
Taffy masks her disappointment at being separated from Kate with a careless shrug, “Well…Ain’t the first time I’ve been on my own, probably won’t be the last! Despite what I say, I know Akiyama ain’t a pushover. I know it’ll be a tough fight. But in the end, I’ll finish what we started and bring you that psycho’s head on a silver platter!”
Kate Grimm and Taffy Black exchange nervous glances at each other through their peripheral vision seated across from their boss and Commissioner of FAWN, Bethany Christian, as she raps her knuckles on the desk, staring a hole through the pair. This has been the scene for the last minute, possibly two minutes; sitting across from the Commissioner in dead silence, waiting to hear their punishment following their heinous attack on Kanako Akiyama and Trixie Decker following the All Hallows Evil pay per view, Bethany’s body language very clearly communicating barely contained fury.
“Give me one good reason,” Bethany finally says, slowly and deliberately, “why I shouldn’t fire the both of you right now for that stunt you pulled.”
After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Taffy finally speaks up, “Ain’t the first time in this company that somebody’s been jumped after hours.”
“True,” Bethany concedes, “However, to the best of my memory, no victim of such attacks had ever had to be put in a MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA for EMERGENCY SURGERY to reduce SWELLING IN HER BRAIN!!!” Grimm and Black both wince as Bethany’s voice rises in volume and force before she takes a moment to compose herself. “You didn’t just cross the line, Miss Black; you dove over it like a bullet train! You are seemingly blessed with preternatural luck, Miss Black, for if Miss Akiyama hadn’t turned her head at the last possible moment, you likely would be staring down the barrel of a murder charge right now. And believe me,” she adds, glaring at the pair, “I would’ve had no problem throwing both of you to the wolves in such a scenario.”
“Miss Christian?” Kate finally speaks up, honest contrition in her voice, “May I speak?” Bethany glares at Kate, but she nods, allowing the pair to present some sort of defense for their actions, “Please, don’t punish Taffy for something that’s my fault.” This plea elicits a look of shock from Taffy and a raised eyebrow from Bethany. “The attack was my idea,” Kate continues, “and I let things get out of hand. Taffy was just doing what she thought I wanted. If you’re gonna punish someone, it ought to be the one responsible for what happened, and that’s me.”
Taffy stares at Kate, wide-eyed and mouth agape. In her entire life, nobody has ever stood up for her the way that Kate just has, and she has been struck speechless, completely at a loss for something to say on her behalf. Meanwhile Bethany is tapping a finger on her desk, turning over Kate’s words in her mind. “Hmm…” she finally says, “Interesting. Be that as it may, as I said, one or both of you appears to be blessed with otherworldly luck. I was just on the phone with Miss Akiyama not an hour ago. Apparently, the first thing she asked for after she woke up - once she had calmed down enough, that is - was her phone to speak to me. And it will delight you to know that she doesn’t intend to press charges against either of you.”
This revelation brought a smug smirk to Taffy’s face, convinced that she just got away with something. However, the older, more experienced Kate looked at Bethany with a raised eyebrow, then over to Taffy, “Wipe that smirk off yer face, Taf’!” she scolded her partner in crime before turning back to the Boss, “Akiyama didn’t do that out of the kindness of her heart, so what’s the catch?”
“Very astute, Miss Grimm,” Bethany nods, grudgingly praising the ex-cage fighter, “I can see why you’re the brains of this team. She wants her pound of flesh, and she means to take it, from you, Miss Black, one on one. And at Season’s Beatings, she’s going to have that chance.”
The idea of getting Kanako alone in the ring brings a wicked grin to Taffy’s face, but Kate looks confused, “Season’s Beatings? Not Cold November Pain?”
Bethany shakes her head, “That’s my call. I’m giving Miss Akiyama an extra month to be fully cleared and recovered for this match. And as for you two…” Her gaze falls on Taffy, her smugness not escaping her notice, “Until that match happens, consider yourselves suspended, not only for the attack itself, but for your own safety as well. Miss Akiyama has many friends whom no doubt might seek out a measure of revenge on her behalf. Beyond that, crossing the line as you have, tends to unite a locker room against you, as they tend to police themselves.” Taffy’s expression turns grim, while Kate nods in acknowledgement, “Very well,” Bethany concludes, taking their silence as assent, “you may go now. If anything else is required, I will give you a call.”
At that point, Taffy nudges Kate, who seems to snap out of her thoughts, “Oh, right…Uh, Miss Christian?” Bethany looks up at her with annoyance that the pair were still there, “Um...Miss de Cyr called us a couple days ago, and asked us to be a part of a “big match” she has planned for CNP…” Kate explains, which brings a frown to the Commissioner’s face.
“Anceline…” she growls, eyes closed and pinching the bridge of her nose, “what the devil are you up to now?” After an exasperated sigh, Bethany opens her eyes to look at the pair once more, “Very well. You may participate in whatever farce Miss de Cyr has planned. But you are to keep yourselves hidden before the match, and after the match is done, you are to leave immediately and not come back until Season’s Beatings. Are we clear?” They both nod, “Good. Now go. Now!”
Not wanting to push their luck, they nod and quickly rise from their chairs and make their exit. Once they’re in the hallway, Taffy’s smug smirk returns, “Damn! That went way better than I thought it would go!” she chuckles.
“Is that what you think?” Kate demands, clearly in no mood for a celebration.
“Well, yeah!” Taffy answers, oblivious to Kate’s demeanor, “Not only are we not fired, but I get a chance to ruin that little twerp even more!”
“Listen to me!” Kate finally blurts out, “Haven’t you learned anything from being in the ring with her?!” Taffy looks at her with a confused expression, head tilted, “You KNOW how fast she is! You KNOW how strong she is! You KNOW how hard she hits! Dismissing Kanako Akiyama because of how much smaller she is than you is a recipe for disaster!”
“Aw, c’mon, Kate, it ain’t like that!” Taffy replies, “Yeah, she’s strong, but I’m stronger! Yeah, she’s plenty tough, but I’m tougher! And besides, with you in my corner, I can’t lose!”
Kate shakes her head in exasperation, “Were you not paying attention in there?! Miss Christian is gonna be watching both of us like a hawk, to make sure Akiyama has her shot at you without any interference! I’m probably not even gonna be allowed to come out with ya.” Taffy’s expression shifts to one of disappointment as Kate shrugs and ends with, “You’re gonna be on your own this time, Taf’.”
Taffy masks her disappointment at being separated from Kate with a careless shrug, “Well…Ain’t the first time I’ve been on my own, probably won’t be the last! Despite what I say, I know Akiyama ain’t a pushover. I know it’ll be a tough fight. But in the end, I’ll finish what we started and bring you that psycho’s head on a silver platter!”