Post by DiOGee on Dec 6, 2023 0:15:24 GMT -5
“And you believed him?”
Stopped in his stroll as Elm comes into view. He is in a hoodie and some sweats walking along some neighborhood sidewalk. Phone held to his ear with his left shoulder as he stops at a wooden electric pole. “I don't remember saying that.” Elm lays a poster over the pole before bringing up a staple gun and popping two at the top and two at the bottom to keep the poster on display. The poster read:
The Royal Gathering
TPW Friday Night Fury
First Ontario Centre, Hamilton, ON, Canada
12/08/23
Meet Jimmy ‘The’ King, Wrestling Royalty IN Person!
It had a picture of Jimmy ‘The’ King faded in the background with his arms held high as if welcoming everyone. Elm wasn't on the poster at all. Not even an honorable mention like an opening act. “Yeah, I’m here.. Tell me again why Cashe has me sticking with Jimmy?” Elm seemed a bit disappointed in his voice as he moved on to find the next place for a poster. “I feel like I’m hanging up Yard Sale signs..”
Stopping, Elm checks both sides of the road before stepping into the street to cross it. Reaching the other side like a chicken, his reason to do a job assigned to him. “What am I wearing?” He snickers holding the phone with his left hand and sliding his backpack back over his right shoulder. “It's more dark grey but yeah..” He looks down at his hoodie to argue his opinion on the color. “How do you know what color hoodie I’m wearing?”
Turning around, Elm scurries back as a vehicle speeds in and peels to a stop near the curb. The drive side door opens and emerging from behind the wheel is Cynara Delaney. Another one of the people who have trained under Jason Cashe. She also plays Football with LFL and just happened to be Sloane Taylor’s half sister. Elm and her knew each other as kids for a brief period and have become friends since reuniting. “Heeeey!” Elm said surprised as he pulled his phone from his ear, putting it into his pocket as he greets his friend.
“I want to see you say you didn't say it..” She didn't seem friendly as she stepped up on the curb and approached Elm. She left the door open, she meant business.
“Say what?!”
“That I was getting fat!” She roared out the words like a lioness about to pounce on her prey. She stalked towards him as Elm backed away.
“I didn't though! Not exactly!”
She jolted at him and Elm broke off to the left. Like a cat chasing a mouse, Elm ran around the passenger side of her car. She gave chase but couldn't catch him, the boy was fast. Now on opposite sides of the car, Elm holds up a pause hand sign.
“Chill! All I said was that you have the bone structure TO carry more weight!”
“I’m gonna show you bone structure, YOURS!” She gave chase again, sliding around the back end of the car like she was drifting.
“Hahahahahaha! You're not gonna catch me, Cyn!” He waved her off as they traded sides of the car but were still separated by it. “I meant it as a compliment!”
“How is that a compliment?!”
“It just is! You just seem like you would rock some cankles..”
“WHAAAT?!” She erupted OVER the car and you could tell Elm was not prepared for that. Cynara hated the High Flying style but here she was taking a risk off her feet. Elm ducks and dips to the right, knees looking like they buckle but he springs right out of her grasp. “Come here!”
“Hahahahaha No!” He was cocky about his escapability but trips over the curb. “Ooohhhh!” His voice cries out as he slaps against the concrete of the sidewalk. Pushing up, he saw the shadow casted around him as Cynara stood over him.
“Got you..” Her voice is much calmer. Lower and without the roar like before. It was the lioness licking her chops knowing she caught her prey and Elm looked like a deer caught in a trap and royally screwed.
“Time out!” Elm pleaded as he rolled onto his back and looked up at a murderous eyed Cynara Delaney.
=×=×=×=×=×=×=
Earlier That Day
=×=×=×=×=×=×=
“I need a favor..” The King named King. Jimmy ‘The’ King had ambition in his eyes as he handed Elm a poster. “Hit the streets and put some up for me, would you? I’d appreciate it, baby!”
“The Royal Gathering?” Elm reads the poster in his hands before looking up for answers.
“We are taking a stand!”
“For what?” Elm still didn't understand.
“Our respect! My place in the Kingdom, MY Kingdom that some heathen currently lives in! We will gather our troops and RAID AND PILLAGE! We will take what is MINE!”
Elm’s confusion didn't fade any. He stood looking dumbfounded at Jimmy ‘The’ King as the two stood inside of a Hotel Lobby.
“What are you talking about? What is yours? Who is living where?!”
Snatching the poster back from Elm. Jimmy ‘The’ King scoffed at Elm’s ignorance. As if it was obvious and only Elm didn't understand. “Peter Vaughn. The TPW Championship. Thunder Pro Wrestling.. MY Kingdom!”
There was a moment of pause. Pure silence as if someone had hit the button on a remote giving people a chance to not only settle in with what he said but get them a few moments of laughter at the sheer thought of what he was saying. Elm gave a perfect example.
“Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!” He fell back, tilting and catching his balance only to fall forward into Jimmy ‘The’ King. The King named King shoves Elm away.
“Silence!” The King demanded. Quickly with the back of his hand, Jimmy ‘The’ King slaps Elm across the face. It infuriates Elm immediately as he pushes up against King. The two have a long stare.. “Settle down, young prince.. Know thy place, baby boy!”
“You hit me like that again and this line of succession will have a plot twist.”
Taking a step back, Jimmy ‘The’ King turns and picks up a backpack from a table that has Christmas decorations already setup. The whole lobby was littered with Holiday spirit. The backpack was red. Offering it for Elm to take, the King named King smiled.
“Please.. Go put these up around the neighborhood?”
“Why can't you?!” Elm asks but still snatches the bag strap from Jimmy ‘The’ King. Throwing it over his right shoulder.
“I have bunions, baby!” The voice of the King was in high spirits again. The remnants of hostility from before were gone. “There is a stapler in the bag.”
“My name ain't even on this poster..” Picking up the stray poster off the ground that King had given him before.
“Did you pay for the prints? House money.” Nodding as his eyebrows raise higher above his eyes. “Speaking of which..” Jimmy digs into his pocket and pulls out a wallet. The King named King had a wallet.. He was just a regular guy, how humble of him. Pulling out a few bills folded, he hands it to Elm. “Buy yourself something pretty!”
Elm was surprised. Was this his Holiday Bonus? He smiled and took the money. “Alright then! Thank you!” Feeling different about Jimmy and the duty he was given to do. “I’ll be back then!” Elm turned and headed for the main doors of the Hotel. Getting outside, Elm was putting all kinds of praise to Jimmy ‘The’ King in his mind. How he was completely wrong about the guy and how Elm was finally appreciated. Stopping, he pulls out the money to see how much he had.
“Ohh come on!”
Holding the bill out corner to corner, it was a hundred dollar bill.. With Jimmy’s face in the center of the useless note of currency.
“I’m calling Cashe! I’m done with this crap!!”
=×=×=×=×=×=×=
Back with Cynara
=×=×=×=×=×=×=
“What did Cashe say? Are you quitting?” Cynara asked as she laughed before and after her questions. Holding one of the King’s custom dollars. “To be fair I’ve seen worse fakes..”
Again she kept a giggle about her. “It's not funny and Cashe said he would buy them from me.”
“And the job?”
“I’m still Prince in the fantasy land of a grown man’s mind..” There was a deep sighing depression in how Elm spoke his words. It gave Cynara another reason to chuckle.
“You know you could just tell Cashe no..” She hands Elm back his King Currency. “He never tried to assign me to anything but I’ve told him no plenty of times.”
“You mean when you two were fuc–”
Cyn, not wanting to relive the mistake both her and Cashe made on multiple occasions, cuts Elm off. “Jealous?”
“Not at all..” He spoke with certainty in his stance. “We're friends. I have love for you, always have but..”
“But what?” Cyn asked but she didn't seem really concerned. It was apparently to them both that they were more like siblings than anything else.
“Not my type. I LIKE the cankles!”
Now Cynara shot a look over to Elm. “Wait, you were serious about why you don't have Twitter?” Nodding in response to her, Elm has a smile as he speaks.
“Yeah. I…” He hesitates because so many will judge him and he is so used to keeping to himself. Wrestling has changed this for him and it was still being settled into. “I like em big.. Like..” He blows air into his mouth with his lips closed so his cheeks blow up. Exhaling the mouthful of air, he concludes his reason. “Chunky is choice!”
Cyn looked at him stunned. Her nose crinkled a little as if she might be disgusted but as she responded, it became clear of her thinking on the matter.
“How?!”
“How what?”
“You're like what, 5’9”? Maybe 200 pounds? How does that work for you?!”
“So? Have you ever seen that movie, The Shining?” A seemingly random question in the middle of their conversation.
“Hasn't everyone?” It was possible for someone not to have seen it but for the sake of this conversation, it was good that she had seen it. “What about it?”
“You know when Jack Nicholson breaks through the door and pokes his head inside?”
“Yeah.. Here’s Johnny!” She recited the tagline.
Elm nods. “That's how I do it!” It was a thinker and when Cyn caught on, she squealed, hitting him to the arm.
“Get out of my car..”
“What? You asked!” He pleaded.
“Out!” She points past him towards the door in which she wants him to exit from. “Go put up posters for monopoly money!”
Opening the passenger door, Elm grabs his bag and starts to exit the vehicle. “You want to come to the show?” He meant the TPW show but just so she knew which show he meant, he hands her a poster.
“Royal Gathering?” She asks as she looks at the poster. “I’m not joining your Clown Kingdom.”
“I wouldn't ask you to join what I don't want to be a part of myself.. Just come hang. Not like you got a job right now!”
“Bitch, I play Football.” She said proudly. She was a fairly skilled Cornerback and in her Rookie Year was showing promise on and off the field heading into 2024. “But yeah.. I’ll be there.”
“Cool.” Shutting the door as he got out of the car. There was no official ‘byes’ or waving the other off. They both came up with the ability to be comfortable alone and knew the struggles of living on the streets, homeless and hopeless.
Whistling as he gets back to posting posters, Elm lives in the moment he was in.
Stopped in his stroll as Elm comes into view. He is in a hoodie and some sweats walking along some neighborhood sidewalk. Phone held to his ear with his left shoulder as he stops at a wooden electric pole. “I don't remember saying that.” Elm lays a poster over the pole before bringing up a staple gun and popping two at the top and two at the bottom to keep the poster on display. The poster read:
The Royal Gathering
TPW Friday Night Fury
First Ontario Centre, Hamilton, ON, Canada
12/08/23
Meet Jimmy ‘The’ King, Wrestling Royalty IN Person!
It had a picture of Jimmy ‘The’ King faded in the background with his arms held high as if welcoming everyone. Elm wasn't on the poster at all. Not even an honorable mention like an opening act. “Yeah, I’m here.. Tell me again why Cashe has me sticking with Jimmy?” Elm seemed a bit disappointed in his voice as he moved on to find the next place for a poster. “I feel like I’m hanging up Yard Sale signs..”
Stopping, Elm checks both sides of the road before stepping into the street to cross it. Reaching the other side like a chicken, his reason to do a job assigned to him. “What am I wearing?” He snickers holding the phone with his left hand and sliding his backpack back over his right shoulder. “It's more dark grey but yeah..” He looks down at his hoodie to argue his opinion on the color. “How do you know what color hoodie I’m wearing?”
Turning around, Elm scurries back as a vehicle speeds in and peels to a stop near the curb. The drive side door opens and emerging from behind the wheel is Cynara Delaney. Another one of the people who have trained under Jason Cashe. She also plays Football with LFL and just happened to be Sloane Taylor’s half sister. Elm and her knew each other as kids for a brief period and have become friends since reuniting. “Heeeey!” Elm said surprised as he pulled his phone from his ear, putting it into his pocket as he greets his friend.
“I want to see you say you didn't say it..” She didn't seem friendly as she stepped up on the curb and approached Elm. She left the door open, she meant business.
“Say what?!”
“That I was getting fat!” She roared out the words like a lioness about to pounce on her prey. She stalked towards him as Elm backed away.
“I didn't though! Not exactly!”
She jolted at him and Elm broke off to the left. Like a cat chasing a mouse, Elm ran around the passenger side of her car. She gave chase but couldn't catch him, the boy was fast. Now on opposite sides of the car, Elm holds up a pause hand sign.
“Chill! All I said was that you have the bone structure TO carry more weight!”
“I’m gonna show you bone structure, YOURS!” She gave chase again, sliding around the back end of the car like she was drifting.
“Hahahahahaha! You're not gonna catch me, Cyn!” He waved her off as they traded sides of the car but were still separated by it. “I meant it as a compliment!”
“How is that a compliment?!”
“It just is! You just seem like you would rock some cankles..”
“WHAAAT?!” She erupted OVER the car and you could tell Elm was not prepared for that. Cynara hated the High Flying style but here she was taking a risk off her feet. Elm ducks and dips to the right, knees looking like they buckle but he springs right out of her grasp. “Come here!”
“Hahahahaha No!” He was cocky about his escapability but trips over the curb. “Ooohhhh!” His voice cries out as he slaps against the concrete of the sidewalk. Pushing up, he saw the shadow casted around him as Cynara stood over him.
“Got you..” Her voice is much calmer. Lower and without the roar like before. It was the lioness licking her chops knowing she caught her prey and Elm looked like a deer caught in a trap and royally screwed.
“Time out!” Elm pleaded as he rolled onto his back and looked up at a murderous eyed Cynara Delaney.
=×=×=×=×=×=×=
Earlier That Day
=×=×=×=×=×=×=
“I need a favor..” The King named King. Jimmy ‘The’ King had ambition in his eyes as he handed Elm a poster. “Hit the streets and put some up for me, would you? I’d appreciate it, baby!”
“The Royal Gathering?” Elm reads the poster in his hands before looking up for answers.
“We are taking a stand!”
“For what?” Elm still didn't understand.
“Our respect! My place in the Kingdom, MY Kingdom that some heathen currently lives in! We will gather our troops and RAID AND PILLAGE! We will take what is MINE!”
Elm’s confusion didn't fade any. He stood looking dumbfounded at Jimmy ‘The’ King as the two stood inside of a Hotel Lobby.
“What are you talking about? What is yours? Who is living where?!”
Snatching the poster back from Elm. Jimmy ‘The’ King scoffed at Elm’s ignorance. As if it was obvious and only Elm didn't understand. “Peter Vaughn. The TPW Championship. Thunder Pro Wrestling.. MY Kingdom!”
There was a moment of pause. Pure silence as if someone had hit the button on a remote giving people a chance to not only settle in with what he said but get them a few moments of laughter at the sheer thought of what he was saying. Elm gave a perfect example.
“Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!” He fell back, tilting and catching his balance only to fall forward into Jimmy ‘The’ King. The King named King shoves Elm away.
“Silence!” The King demanded. Quickly with the back of his hand, Jimmy ‘The’ King slaps Elm across the face. It infuriates Elm immediately as he pushes up against King. The two have a long stare.. “Settle down, young prince.. Know thy place, baby boy!”
“You hit me like that again and this line of succession will have a plot twist.”
Taking a step back, Jimmy ‘The’ King turns and picks up a backpack from a table that has Christmas decorations already setup. The whole lobby was littered with Holiday spirit. The backpack was red. Offering it for Elm to take, the King named King smiled.
“Please.. Go put these up around the neighborhood?”
“Why can't you?!” Elm asks but still snatches the bag strap from Jimmy ‘The’ King. Throwing it over his right shoulder.
“I have bunions, baby!” The voice of the King was in high spirits again. The remnants of hostility from before were gone. “There is a stapler in the bag.”
“My name ain't even on this poster..” Picking up the stray poster off the ground that King had given him before.
“Did you pay for the prints? House money.” Nodding as his eyebrows raise higher above his eyes. “Speaking of which..” Jimmy digs into his pocket and pulls out a wallet. The King named King had a wallet.. He was just a regular guy, how humble of him. Pulling out a few bills folded, he hands it to Elm. “Buy yourself something pretty!”
Elm was surprised. Was this his Holiday Bonus? He smiled and took the money. “Alright then! Thank you!” Feeling different about Jimmy and the duty he was given to do. “I’ll be back then!” Elm turned and headed for the main doors of the Hotel. Getting outside, Elm was putting all kinds of praise to Jimmy ‘The’ King in his mind. How he was completely wrong about the guy and how Elm was finally appreciated. Stopping, he pulls out the money to see how much he had.
“Ohh come on!”
Holding the bill out corner to corner, it was a hundred dollar bill.. With Jimmy’s face in the center of the useless note of currency.
“I’m calling Cashe! I’m done with this crap!!”
=×=×=×=×=×=×=
Back with Cynara
=×=×=×=×=×=×=
“What did Cashe say? Are you quitting?” Cynara asked as she laughed before and after her questions. Holding one of the King’s custom dollars. “To be fair I’ve seen worse fakes..”
Again she kept a giggle about her. “It's not funny and Cashe said he would buy them from me.”
“And the job?”
“I’m still Prince in the fantasy land of a grown man’s mind..” There was a deep sighing depression in how Elm spoke his words. It gave Cynara another reason to chuckle.
“You know you could just tell Cashe no..” She hands Elm back his King Currency. “He never tried to assign me to anything but I’ve told him no plenty of times.”
“You mean when you two were fuc–”
Cyn, not wanting to relive the mistake both her and Cashe made on multiple occasions, cuts Elm off. “Jealous?”
“Not at all..” He spoke with certainty in his stance. “We're friends. I have love for you, always have but..”
“But what?” Cyn asked but she didn't seem really concerned. It was apparently to them both that they were more like siblings than anything else.
“Not my type. I LIKE the cankles!”
Now Cynara shot a look over to Elm. “Wait, you were serious about why you don't have Twitter?” Nodding in response to her, Elm has a smile as he speaks.
“Yeah. I…” He hesitates because so many will judge him and he is so used to keeping to himself. Wrestling has changed this for him and it was still being settled into. “I like em big.. Like..” He blows air into his mouth with his lips closed so his cheeks blow up. Exhaling the mouthful of air, he concludes his reason. “Chunky is choice!”
Cyn looked at him stunned. Her nose crinkled a little as if she might be disgusted but as she responded, it became clear of her thinking on the matter.
“How?!”
“How what?”
“You're like what, 5’9”? Maybe 200 pounds? How does that work for you?!”
“So? Have you ever seen that movie, The Shining?” A seemingly random question in the middle of their conversation.
“Hasn't everyone?” It was possible for someone not to have seen it but for the sake of this conversation, it was good that she had seen it. “What about it?”
“You know when Jack Nicholson breaks through the door and pokes his head inside?”
“Yeah.. Here’s Johnny!” She recited the tagline.
Elm nods. “That's how I do it!” It was a thinker and when Cyn caught on, she squealed, hitting him to the arm.
“Get out of my car..”
“What? You asked!” He pleaded.
“Out!” She points past him towards the door in which she wants him to exit from. “Go put up posters for monopoly money!”
Opening the passenger door, Elm grabs his bag and starts to exit the vehicle. “You want to come to the show?” He meant the TPW show but just so she knew which show he meant, he hands her a poster.
“Royal Gathering?” She asks as she looks at the poster. “I’m not joining your Clown Kingdom.”
“I wouldn't ask you to join what I don't want to be a part of myself.. Just come hang. Not like you got a job right now!”
“Bitch, I play Football.” She said proudly. She was a fairly skilled Cornerback and in her Rookie Year was showing promise on and off the field heading into 2024. “But yeah.. I’ll be there.”
“Cool.” Shutting the door as he got out of the car. There was no official ‘byes’ or waving the other off. They both came up with the ability to be comfortable alone and knew the struggles of living on the streets, homeless and hopeless.
Whistling as he gets back to posting posters, Elm lives in the moment he was in.
