Post by Gwen Price-King on Feb 21, 2018 1:08:23 GMT -5
“Kimberly was not even worth my time.”
“that is what happens to people hoping that who think that skating by on their family name gets a special set of treatments. I know who I am, who I married. But Everything I am in that ring I earned by pure untainted talent.”
“But at least management has seen fit to give me an interesting match this week. Someone at least closer to being on my level.”
“I have my first victory in Combat wrestling and I am giving direct access to the undefeated Dawn.”
“While I agree I deserve this opportunity to brings Dawn her first defeat—which I absolutely do—I have to imagine that has to get the rest of the women’s division in a bit of a mood. Does it bother you all to know that I am so superior to you all that I get to skip dealing with the dregs to go straight for the main competition?”
“Must burn you something fierce.”
“I appreciate the chance. I more than deserve it. I like how this company thinks. There would be no point battling my way up to her, let’s skip the middleman and give this company the match it truly deserves. It will be just the next step on my journey to the beautiful belt.”
“And that belt will be mine. I came here to conquer.”
Gwen gritted her teeth as she looked at the time for the third time. She hated this, hated waiting, they were already an hour later than she had planned on them being here. If she’d had anything else planned for today she would have told them to skip this visitation. The more time she spent in the foyer the more she felt self-conscious about what she was wearing.
the sound of her heels on the tile made her feel like something was exploding under her skin. Maybe it was too much?
The knock on the front door was only a moment before the door swung open with her three visitors shuffling in the door. She gave herself a moment to breath in before plastering on the trained smile.
“Gwendoline!” Her mother gasped in that trained way. “Oh, darling, I almost didn’t recognize you!”
“Mom.” Gwen let herself be pulled into a hug before being released. She barely had a moment before her younger sister squeezed her hard into a hug.
“Oh my god! This house is huge!” Penny squealed in a way that echoed off the walls.
Gwen pulled back from the hug. “It’s not that big.”
“Hm.” Her dad nodded to her in greeting looking over the room with an eye that still had a habit of making her feel anxious.
“Did you want a tour?” Gwen asked stepping back motioning to the house. “Or we can have something to drink in the side room?”
“I could use something to drink.” Her mom grinned to wide as she tugged her dad’s arm.
Gwen led her family into the side room. It had been unpacked delicately. She had the room layout done by a professional. Ethan and herself had pointed out colors, style, and options of course but Gwen had wanted a special touch to make the room really look as impressive as it needed to.
On the table she had a few choice bottles and an ice bucket set aside. She knew how her mom was after a flight. Alice Price could setup a brunch with ten minutes notice and have everything picture perfect for a drop in guest but was a wreck after a plane.
“Ooo. This looks like a pinterest layout. I love it!” Penny cooed as she set her coat on the sofa.
“Where’s Mr. King?” Her dad asked slipping out of his coat.
“Ethan’s out. He has to do some training for-”
“Right. The combat thing.” Her dad sat down on the sofa barely removing his coat.
Gwen clenched her jaw but moved to pour her mother a drink. “How was your flight?”
“Oh! Uneventful.” Her mom waved off the concern taking the drink in both hands.
Gwen sat opposite her family and waited for what was likely to come. She watched as her sister and father got their own drinks. She sipped her whiskey looking at the state of them. Senator Henry Price was wearing his best suit, her sister clearly trying to dress up but looking as out of place in a dress as a pig in church.
Gwen did the math in her head. When was the last time her family had come for a surprise visit? There wasn’t a holiday within the next week. She wished she had paid more attention to the political game in her home county but she doubted it would have prepared her for the fight that was going to be coming.
“when will Mr. King be back?” Her dad asked.
“Later.” Gwen answered shortly. “Do you want a tour of the city? I can get a car together.”
“Maybe tomorrow?” Her mom offered helpfully with a polite smile.
“If you wanted to see Ethan you could have called him.” Gwen offered. “Or asked for the money over the phone. Would have saved mom’s nerves.”
Henry glared at her setting the drink on the table, missing the well placed coaster by inches. “Do not talk to me like that.”
“Oh, Penny let’s go look for the bathroom.” Her mom stood and guided her younger sister out of the room with practiced ease.
When Gwen was younger she would have been scared. Would have ducked her head and tried to say the apology that he would have bought. Instead Gwen sat back and took another sip.
“It’s why you are here, isn’t it?” Gwen asked. “Has someone finally tried to push you from your seat? You’ve run unopposed since I was sent away, but I imagine it was bound to happen sooner or later.”
“Without Military School you wouldn’t have the position to look down on me so don’t act like it ruined your life, Gwendoline.”
“It got you that Support our Troops vote you were so desperate for.” Gwen set her empty glass on the table and moved her dad’s onto the coaster. “If it’s the Party is feeling you’re too center for them again I’m sure you could find some fringe to send Penny to prove your desire to keep your position. I know Tiffany disappointed you when she ran off with her college boyfriend.”
“You think you’re so smart, don’t you?”
“Well? What is it?” Gwen asked sitting back.
“The opposition is being funded by this radicalized … The money this crowdfunded idiot has gotten together. They are burying me in ads and booklets. When you were across the ocean I didn’t give a damn what you did! But everything you do reflects on me!”
Gwen scuffed. “No. The answer is no.”
“You don’t need the money.” He stood up as if his height should intimidate her still.
“Fuck. Off.” Gwen said calmly standing up slowly. “My life is not dictated by you any longer.”
She walked to the door, “I will tell mom and Penny you’ll be leaving for your hotel.”
“I certainly look forward to walking into that ring and knocking Dawn whatever her last name is down a peg. Daddy’s little girl deserves to have something knocked into her head. I am going to make an example of her. Teach her to bow down to her betters.”
“I am your better Dawn. You have a habit of comparing other women to the girls you dealt with in High School. I am nothing like the girls you dealt with in High School.”
“You went to some public school and dealt with clichés and popularity. You think because your daddy wasn’t there for you, because you had some family tragedy that makes you edgy and interesting? You think covering your body in tattoos and an undercut makes you interesting? It does not.”
“You are a dime a dozen, Dawn. You are a stereotype of Daddy issues. You think growing up poor makes you a hard edged razor blade slightly dented but can cut it’s way through anything?”
“The rest of everyone might take you at your word but, Dawn, you are not that hard. You are not that interesting. Little girl playing at rebelling. You’re not that different than the cosplayers pretending to be wrestlers. You think a different coat of paint makes you interesting.”
“Dawn, you’re nothing more than a little girl playing at being a punk rock icon. You’re not punk rock. You’re not hard core. You think the untrained way you go around the ring is going to win you this match?”
“Please.”
“I saw girls like you get broken down, grounded into the little cookie cutter perfect soldiers every day of my life at Military school. You think you’re so different? A little structure and discipline and you’ll fall just as into line as the rest of them. I’m going to put you on your knees, Dawn, give you that discipline your parents clearly never gave you. I’m going to beat you.”
“You’re nothing but an obstacle to my belt. I will remove you.”
“that is what happens to people hoping that who think that skating by on their family name gets a special set of treatments. I know who I am, who I married. But Everything I am in that ring I earned by pure untainted talent.”
“But at least management has seen fit to give me an interesting match this week. Someone at least closer to being on my level.”
“I have my first victory in Combat wrestling and I am giving direct access to the undefeated Dawn.”
“While I agree I deserve this opportunity to brings Dawn her first defeat—which I absolutely do—I have to imagine that has to get the rest of the women’s division in a bit of a mood. Does it bother you all to know that I am so superior to you all that I get to skip dealing with the dregs to go straight for the main competition?”
“Must burn you something fierce.”
“I appreciate the chance. I more than deserve it. I like how this company thinks. There would be no point battling my way up to her, let’s skip the middleman and give this company the match it truly deserves. It will be just the next step on my journey to the beautiful belt.”
“And that belt will be mine. I came here to conquer.”
Gwen gritted her teeth as she looked at the time for the third time. She hated this, hated waiting, they were already an hour later than she had planned on them being here. If she’d had anything else planned for today she would have told them to skip this visitation. The more time she spent in the foyer the more she felt self-conscious about what she was wearing.
the sound of her heels on the tile made her feel like something was exploding under her skin. Maybe it was too much?
The knock on the front door was only a moment before the door swung open with her three visitors shuffling in the door. She gave herself a moment to breath in before plastering on the trained smile.
“Gwendoline!” Her mother gasped in that trained way. “Oh, darling, I almost didn’t recognize you!”
“Mom.” Gwen let herself be pulled into a hug before being released. She barely had a moment before her younger sister squeezed her hard into a hug.
“Oh my god! This house is huge!” Penny squealed in a way that echoed off the walls.
Gwen pulled back from the hug. “It’s not that big.”
“Hm.” Her dad nodded to her in greeting looking over the room with an eye that still had a habit of making her feel anxious.
“Did you want a tour?” Gwen asked stepping back motioning to the house. “Or we can have something to drink in the side room?”
“I could use something to drink.” Her mom grinned to wide as she tugged her dad’s arm.
Gwen led her family into the side room. It had been unpacked delicately. She had the room layout done by a professional. Ethan and herself had pointed out colors, style, and options of course but Gwen had wanted a special touch to make the room really look as impressive as it needed to.
On the table she had a few choice bottles and an ice bucket set aside. She knew how her mom was after a flight. Alice Price could setup a brunch with ten minutes notice and have everything picture perfect for a drop in guest but was a wreck after a plane.
“Ooo. This looks like a pinterest layout. I love it!” Penny cooed as she set her coat on the sofa.
“Where’s Mr. King?” Her dad asked slipping out of his coat.
“Ethan’s out. He has to do some training for-”
“Right. The combat thing.” Her dad sat down on the sofa barely removing his coat.
Gwen clenched her jaw but moved to pour her mother a drink. “How was your flight?”
“Oh! Uneventful.” Her mom waved off the concern taking the drink in both hands.
Gwen sat opposite her family and waited for what was likely to come. She watched as her sister and father got their own drinks. She sipped her whiskey looking at the state of them. Senator Henry Price was wearing his best suit, her sister clearly trying to dress up but looking as out of place in a dress as a pig in church.
Gwen did the math in her head. When was the last time her family had come for a surprise visit? There wasn’t a holiday within the next week. She wished she had paid more attention to the political game in her home county but she doubted it would have prepared her for the fight that was going to be coming.
“when will Mr. King be back?” Her dad asked.
“Later.” Gwen answered shortly. “Do you want a tour of the city? I can get a car together.”
“Maybe tomorrow?” Her mom offered helpfully with a polite smile.
“If you wanted to see Ethan you could have called him.” Gwen offered. “Or asked for the money over the phone. Would have saved mom’s nerves.”
Henry glared at her setting the drink on the table, missing the well placed coaster by inches. “Do not talk to me like that.”
“Oh, Penny let’s go look for the bathroom.” Her mom stood and guided her younger sister out of the room with practiced ease.
When Gwen was younger she would have been scared. Would have ducked her head and tried to say the apology that he would have bought. Instead Gwen sat back and took another sip.
“It’s why you are here, isn’t it?” Gwen asked. “Has someone finally tried to push you from your seat? You’ve run unopposed since I was sent away, but I imagine it was bound to happen sooner or later.”
“Without Military School you wouldn’t have the position to look down on me so don’t act like it ruined your life, Gwendoline.”
“It got you that Support our Troops vote you were so desperate for.” Gwen set her empty glass on the table and moved her dad’s onto the coaster. “If it’s the Party is feeling you’re too center for them again I’m sure you could find some fringe to send Penny to prove your desire to keep your position. I know Tiffany disappointed you when she ran off with her college boyfriend.”
“You think you’re so smart, don’t you?”
“Well? What is it?” Gwen asked sitting back.
“The opposition is being funded by this radicalized … The money this crowdfunded idiot has gotten together. They are burying me in ads and booklets. When you were across the ocean I didn’t give a damn what you did! But everything you do reflects on me!”
Gwen scuffed. “No. The answer is no.”
“You don’t need the money.” He stood up as if his height should intimidate her still.
“Fuck. Off.” Gwen said calmly standing up slowly. “My life is not dictated by you any longer.”
She walked to the door, “I will tell mom and Penny you’ll be leaving for your hotel.”
“I certainly look forward to walking into that ring and knocking Dawn whatever her last name is down a peg. Daddy’s little girl deserves to have something knocked into her head. I am going to make an example of her. Teach her to bow down to her betters.”
“I am your better Dawn. You have a habit of comparing other women to the girls you dealt with in High School. I am nothing like the girls you dealt with in High School.”
“You went to some public school and dealt with clichés and popularity. You think because your daddy wasn’t there for you, because you had some family tragedy that makes you edgy and interesting? You think covering your body in tattoos and an undercut makes you interesting? It does not.”
“You are a dime a dozen, Dawn. You are a stereotype of Daddy issues. You think growing up poor makes you a hard edged razor blade slightly dented but can cut it’s way through anything?”
“The rest of everyone might take you at your word but, Dawn, you are not that hard. You are not that interesting. Little girl playing at rebelling. You’re not that different than the cosplayers pretending to be wrestlers. You think a different coat of paint makes you interesting.”
“Dawn, you’re nothing more than a little girl playing at being a punk rock icon. You’re not punk rock. You’re not hard core. You think the untrained way you go around the ring is going to win you this match?”
“Please.”
“I saw girls like you get broken down, grounded into the little cookie cutter perfect soldiers every day of my life at Military school. You think you’re so different? A little structure and discipline and you’ll fall just as into line as the rest of them. I’m going to put you on your knees, Dawn, give you that discipline your parents clearly never gave you. I’m going to beat you.”
“You’re nothing but an obstacle to my belt. I will remove you.”
