Post by fallonlockhart on Dec 24, 2018 21:22:26 GMT -5
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!
The room is lit only by twinkling fairy lights, wrapped carefully around an elaborately decorated Christmas tree; huddled beneath it is Fallon Lockhart, this being her first Christmas n with a huge match on the horizon, her excitement is palpable. She sits just a few feet from the tree, a pretty little Christmas ribbon clutched in her black varnished fingers.
The ribbon is attached to an oversized candy cane which props up perhaps the biggest cardboard box you’ve ever seen, nestled just under the box is a plate of delicious looking sugar cookies n a frosty glass of milk. She glances at the camera with a mischievous grin.
“Tonight, I’mma catch me a Santa Claus!”
She says the sentence with such a Merry conviction, you’d be hard-pressed not to believe in the jolly bearded fellow yourself.
“Just like on December 30 when imma catch me a next round in the King Cobra tournament by defeatin Finn Whelan. Now see, these two things, they got a whole lot in common, cause both are gonna be rly rly tough. Finn ain’t no slouch n he’s got all the experience that I ain’t… n well, to a lotta people I guess I ain’t got any more chance at beatin Finn than I do catchin Santa. But there’s a good reason for that…”
As she gets to explain herself; a hn reaches towards the box to grab a cookie n she yelps, diving forward to slap the hn away.
“NO JOSH! Them cookies are for Santa!”
A soft chuckle comes from her boyfriend, off camera. She looks past the camera to stick her tongue out, shaking her head a little.
“Mhm see, there’s a good reason for that. Cause SOME people don’t even believe in Santa! I know right? How you gonna go n have Christmas n not even believe in Santa?!”
She grins now, settling back into her little hiding place as the camera focuses back on her thanks to Josh’s far more vast experience at on-screen work.
“n then other people, well they got about as much belief in me as they do in Santa n hey, that’s okay I mean, I ain’t exactly been around very long n like I said, Finn is a real talented wrestler. He’s beaten people I Maybe won’t ever even see in a ring, he’s got accomplishments he could list off that’d probably be a whole lot more to say than I got time to for this… but I got somethin he hasn’t n do you all know what that is?
Well, I got faith. Faith in myself an in my abilities. See, I don’t gotta speak poorly bout my opponent to let you guys know that I’m comin for this, despite everythin else I might be doin in my career, this is one of the biggest things I got in front of me n I’m takin my chance in this tournament, my shot at king cobra, real real serious. I want this n I been training for it.
Lotta people know me as the rainbow warrior, or the SKELLICORN, the know me as the girl who always has a smile on her face n a nice word to say about, well honestly, just about everybody… but I’m so much more than that. I’m a champion n I’m a serious competitor, when I get out in that ring? Man… it’s like there ain’t anyone in the world but me n that, we’ll that can’t be bought or taught, it’s somethin inside of you, it’s a passion for this sport that not everybody has…”
She pulls a sugar cookie from her pocket, a brief snack break while she mulls over her own words. Usually, Fallon Lockhart is a nervous ball of energy in front of a camera; she’s known, in the companies where she works at least, for being rather shy n awkward… But tonight she seems focused, her determination extending beyond just her words.
“It’s a passion that, sadly, seems to be lackin for you Finn. Now I ain’t one to be mean or rude or nothin but I mean. Rly, can you rly say that you want this. Want it like I do, is this actually what you even want right now? Or is it just somethin you’re doin on autopilot until you can find that passion again…
I hope that you didn’t look over this match n discount me right away; I rly do hope that you looked at my track record n seen for yourself that despite my - often questioned n ridiculed - sunny disposition n super positive attitude. I take all this real serious. My whole life, this is all I ever wanted to do, n sure, you could say well… she’s still just a kid what in the world could she know about rly wantin n workin for somethin?
Well not for nothin, let me tell you, I know a whole freakin lot bout workin to get to where you wanna be.”
Her eyes dart back to the giant box, the one she’s hoping to catch Santa in. All over again her bright eyes light up at the prospect of finally seeing the fabled gift bringer, a man who, in her childhood, she had always believed in, despite never being visited by him. Her younger years had been spent hoping one day she would make it into the ‘nice list’ n be worthy of a visit.
Say what you will about Fallon -and, Finn likely would. But if there was anyone who had earned a spot on the ‘nice list’ this year? It was absolutely her.
“Titch…”
The voice of Josh Kennedy, using his pet name for her, drew Fallon’s attention to behind the camera once more.
“Mmm?”
“What does all this have to do with catchin Saint Nick?”
She giggled, glee n a childlike joy filling her features to the point she all out blushed, wriggling on the spot as she tightened her grip on the ribbon.
“I’m glad you asked!”
She surely seemed glad too, her eyes darting between her little trap n the lens once more as she cuddled into the corner where she was hiding, a near frantic level of excitement in her aura.
“See, I’mma catch me Santa Claus so I can ask him for one last gift; n nah it ain’t no cliche like the victory in our match Finn. I mean, I sure could ask him for that n I’ve been a real good girl this year. Even ate my veggies to make sure there was no reason to skip me! But nope, I’m not gonna ask him for that cause I for sure am gonna earn this win all on my own.
My last wish, my addition to my Christmas list? It’s for you.
I’m gonna ask Mr. Claus to bring you hope this year Finn. Cause it rly seems like you just might be all out of it n well, ain’t nobody deserve to be all out of hope, not on Christmas. So I put out these cookies n a glass of milk, cause everybody knows that’s what Santa is lookin for as a treat for bringin us all the special things we been askin for, just so I can catch him real quick, I’m only gonna keep him for a minute or two, cause I know tonite he’s rly so super busy, he can’t spare more than that.
But I’m gonna keep him for a minute, so I can ask him for that gift, a wish for you n a gift to all your fans n loved ones. Because you can’t be happy, you can’t fight for the things you rly rly want, if you ain’t got hope that you can get there. n that’s who I wanna fight rly, I wanna fight the man I see on those tapes, the man who gives it everythin he has n his tank is full. The man who nobody believes I CAN bear, cause he rly is so talented.
That’s what I rly want for Christmas, Mr. Whelan, I wanna stn opposite you in the ring, I wanna look you in the eyes n know we’re both there for the same reason, I wanna feel it, every second of our match and, if I earn that victory, if I get that win, I wanna know I beat you at your very best. Cause that’s what the fans deserve n even more importantly…”
Just as she finishes, there’s the faint sound of bells; jingle bells if you believe… With a renewed excitement Fallon leans in towards the camera.
“Most importantly in fact, it’s what you deserve too.
Ohhh n Merry Christmas everyone!”
Whenever anyone was unselfish, that was Santa Claus. Christmas Eve was the time when everybody was unselfish. On that one night, Santa Claus was everywhere, because everybody, all together, stopped being selfish n wanted other people to be happy. n in the morning you saw what that had done.
Post by Finn Whelan on Dec 25, 2018 20:51:23 GMT -5
A LESSON TO BE LEARNED “Our greatest GLORY is not in never failing, but rising every time we FALL." CONFUCIOUS
•••••
Normally around this time of year, in the upper northwest of the United States, snow would blanket the ground in a light sheen and frost would cover the windows. It was Christmas, as the date was labeled, and in houses, all along neighborhood streets, families and friends gathered for a celebration of all that was dear to them. A culmination of the year, so to speak. But for Finn Whelan, it wasn’t a celebration. To be honest, the death of his family, real and perceived, wasn’t something to celebrate. It was something to grow from, to continue on.
To build.
As 2018 was a year of progress for Finn, he was determined to make sure that 2019 was even better than the last. July had a fateful fall, and with that brought his fall from grace. The beginning half of the year had been trial and error, with championship wins, with losses, and with changes to behold. And if there is nothing more true about Finn Whelan, it was that he was adaptive to change. He evolved with the world around him, changing how he reacted in response to how people moved. This was intelligence. This was what saved him in many a match. This was why, in thirteen matches within Union Battleground, he’d only lost three.
He learned from his mistakes. He learned that this world was cutthroat and that you couldn’t place your trust and confidence in anyone within the sport. People could leave you instantly, they could turn on you on a dime. And if there was any lesson learned for Finnegan, it was that he was a relentless, snarling lone wolf.
It’d been near three months now since Union Battleground’s Coup de Grace. He’d lost to Kimitsu Zombie. He’d let her gain back the Trench War Championship, and while that was a detriment to him, he knew it was something that had to happen. Otherwise, he’d still be in the predicament that he was in -- doing absolutely nothing with his life, living complacently, not bothering to take any steps forward to improve himself.
That wasn’t the Finn Whelan that anyone ever wanted to see. Not even himself.
Fire crackled in the background as sparks flew from the burning wood. With a haphazard, lazy motion of his hand, the Seattle Saint tossed another small log into the fireplace, moving it with the pick and situating it so that it would burn better. Within his eyes, the fire reflected off of his strikingly bright blue irises as he ensured he didn’t injure himself. Regardless, he hung the implement back on its spot along the red brick wall and turned around.
Within a couple of steps, he reached the light grey upholstered couch and dropped into it, bouncing a moment as the cushion settled underneath him. He took his hands and folded them together, his thumb pressing hard into the palm of the other as he stretched his neck, looking down at the floor, then to the fireplace, and then upwards as he stared straight into the frame.
“Don’t you all ever get tired of doing this day in, day out, never deviating from the same fucking bullshit you do every week? Set up a scene, trash talk your opponent, walk out there, try to win, and all the while listening to other people as they build you up to be the greatest thing on sliced bread. At least, until you fail. Until you fall back on hard times and then all of a sudden, you’re not talked about, you’re shunned. We all get into a rut, think we find the formula, never realizing we grow stagnant, tired and old news. In our minds, we think we’re the most special person and goddammit, we deserve everything and the sun because we do the best we think we can do and by far.”
He tilts his head the side and smiles slightly, bitterly.
“It’s not. The second we start doing this, we just are tired, tried, and boring as fuck. I don’t know how many weeks I sit there and watch my counterparts and their promotionals and look at the same thing over and over again. Set scene, talk a lot, repeat yourself, do the same thing over and over again. I always wonder...why do we even bother? Do we sit there and just do it because it’s easy? Because we all find it simple to just trash the other person and get our rocks off to the sound of our own voices? I wonder if there are some people who honestly just do that -- think they’re the fuckin’ greatest thing since sliced bread because someone made them that way, but instead they’re just a tired trope and everyone is getting tired of their shit.
“I started falling into that. I won’t lie. I’m not an ignorant fool. And maybe I’m doing it now, but it’s a lesson to be learned, is it not? Every time we step out there, we learn. We learn that people are different than you in almost every way, shape and form. That’s an obvious fact, isn’t it? I don’t know that we sit there and actually think that. We just see the person in front of us as someone to attack. But there’re lessons that can be learned from everyone.”
“For example,” Finn looks down at the table in front of him, and he picks up a file folder, opening it slowly, “Fallon Lockhart.” The multicolored hair of the Mighty Skellicorn, or so she was dubbed, is visible on a picture that is paperclipped to the folder. Finn’s eyes slide over her picture, and then across the handwritten information he’d found from various sources to give him what he needed to know.
“Ms. Lockhart is a bubbly, kind and happy individual that sounds very much like a child when she speaks. But in a world full of disenchanted individuals who have lost the ability to smile through anything, that’s something that we need, is it not? Seven, eight months on the independent scene, you would think that I would be sitting here and underestimating this kid. But really? Nah.”
He points to a specific piece of the paper, the words, “Southside Parkore Champion”.
“I’m not an ignorant fool who sits here and underestimates anyone. This tournament, the King of the Crown Cobra, was a shining achievement for me last year. I entered Union Battleground as an unknown and stepped foot into the tournament taking on names that I’d heard of, but never dreamed of facing. Terry McKenna, a name known to most in this sport, was my first opponent, and not only did I destroy him, he left the entire company afterward. After claiming he was going to be something special. But he wasn’t. I have lost a total of three matches in this company, and why is that? Because, as stated before, I am one of the best competitors that people see in here. There are nights where someone has done better than me, as there are every night, but the fact of the matter is that we all go out there and do our best. And that’s what I expect from Fallon.”
He glances down at the sheet one more time.
“Fallon has people on her side that have given her so much to live up to. And I know she’s going to want to do that. She’s not going to want to disappoint Blyss, and she’s not going to want to disappoint her beau in Josh Kennedy. Fallon has people she wants to make proud of her, and to be in a tournament of this caliber has to be taxing. At one point, I want to wish her luck...because we all know that at this point? She’s going to need it.
“Highflying, fast-paced action is great. While I’m more of a technical worker, it’s obvious that the Skellicorn will take to the sky when she can, because honestly, that’s where the momentum is going to be for her. She’s four-foot-ten, one hundred and fifteen pounds...that’s all she can do. But here’s the thing that I need you to listen close to…so lean your ear to me, little one.
“I walked through this Battleground last year, Fallon. I was in Guerrilla Warfare the longest, I threw out the most people, and I made it to the final round of this tournament last year, falling only to Emery Layton. Every time I fell last year, I made three more people fall to me. Every time I took a step, the ground quaked. It doesn’t matter to me that there’s people walking in from all places trying their luck at this tournament. It doesn’t matter to me that you’re trying your luck. The fact of the matter is that this year, again, this is my tournament. I will rise as the Crown of the King Cobra, holding that championship high above my head, and my eyes will be set on Alyssa Daniels. Not that they already aren’t...but I digress…”
Finn drops the file on the table, and leans back against the seat cushions.
“So come at me with all you got, Fallon. I want to teach you a lesson. In this world, you can’t just want to compete. You’ve got to want something with all of your might and be willing to risk everything in order to have it. Are you able to do that, Ms. Lockhart? Are you willing to give up what you care about to reach the top of the totem pole? Because the fact of the matter is that you can be the most technical wrestler, but if you’re just going to ‘try and compete’, ‘do your best’, then you’re failing everyone around you. This is a test of your mettle.
This is a test of who you are.
This is a test of who you could be.
But know this: I know who I am. I know the drive I have. I know who I can, and will be. And it will not be kicked out of this first round. You can bet on that. So when I see you England, at the Royal Albert Hall, I hope you bring everything you’ve got, Fallon.
You’re going to need it.”
[FIN] WORD COUNT: 1733 via wordcounter.net
Last Edit: Dec 25, 2018 20:51:59 GMT -5 by Finn Whelan
