Post by wblstudios on May 2, 2006 15:03:24 GMT -5
Sometimes even in the light of day, in the middle of a throng, depression can make someone feel alone. So felt Ellis as she sat at the food court of the local mall, staring down a pocket of waffle fries, and beyond that, a 16 year old girl clothed in a “She Wants Revenge” t-shirt and jeans, looking somewhat different now that she’s ditched the schoolgirl outfit for good. A strand of her auburn hair is twirled between her fingers as she looked back at the visage of living death, then turning her attention back to the notepad in one hand, and the chicken strip and pencil dueling for space in the other one.
“I still don’t understand”, coughed out Ellis. It seemed to be getting harder to speak every day, her voice becoming raspy to the point of pain. She felt like she didn’t understand a lot of things... especially why, although the worthless third wheel of her match technically was the loser, Ellis still felt defeated. Why she kept thinking about him laughing and celebrating a title he claimed he didn’t care about. And why she was suddenly being thrusted into the lives of three people who she couldn’t give less of a fuck about. But this particular I Still Don’t Understand was one trying to make a point out of the conversation Ellis and Kikyo had been having for a while now.
Kikyo sighed, placing the notepad down. “Well... you remember how I told you the real reason I had Josephine come to America was so I could meet you? She sorta felt betrayed that I was using her. And in a way, I guess I sorta was. So we talked about it, and I cancelled my contract as her manager.”
“Yeah... I got that part. I mean... why manage me? You got hurt trying to defend me...”
“Eh... well, yeah. Don’t forget, I’ve been doing this for a year now. Gosh, I’ve even been through tables in Mexico. I’ll be okey-dokey. And as for why I wanna help you... I think we’ve talked about that.”
Ellis looked down at her pocket of waffle fries, at the ketchup smothering them, desperately wishing it was something similar, but so different... “I can’t pay you. I can’t even live on what they pay me here.”
“Hm? You can’t? Well, I guess that’s sorta why you need me. I mean, you have so much you gotta go through. So many things you gotta deal with, emotionally. I thought it’d help to have someone to take care of the boring stuff... ya know, like setting up promos, making deals... renegotiating contracts.”
Ellis forced a raspy chuckle, almost as if just to let this girl know rigor mortis hadn’t set in just yet. “Renegotiating. Big word for a 16 year old.”
“Yeah, well don’t forget, I did go to college here for four years. That helped.”
“You seem to old for your age, Kikyo. For someone who’s only 16, you’ve sure got your life together.”
“And for someone who’s 20, you sure seem ready to die... please take care of yourself.”
Again, conversation hit a standstill. Waffle fries grew colder. Ketchup congealed.
“Ellis-sama... I mean... Ellis... I didn’t see you after the show, after you went to chase Ace. What happened? What did you do to him?”
No reply.
“I just want to tell you, Ellis, that you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not the important one. This is all about you.”
Still no reply. The time for small talk was over. It was time to get back to talking business.
“Well... anyways, Ellis, I’ve been busy. Now, instead of that hotel room at South Ashford Heights, I got you an apartment of your own, it’s a bit run down, but a lot cheaper. Plus, after that match you put on at Payback, I’m pretty sure I can get you more money. See? Problem solved!”
“Did your parents ever beat you?”
The question caught Kikyo off guard, but those cold, dead eyes of the corpse girl told her that business was the last thing on her mind today. Laying all the cards on the table was going to be crucial.
“No. I mean, I barely ever saw them... dad owns Daioh entertainment industries, and mom’s a prize-winning journalist... but when I did see them, it was nothing but love... why do you ask?”
“You were talking business. I’m your client now. How can you understand what I’ve gone through that’s made me this... thing... if your life’s been so charmed?”
Kikyo’s bright auburn eyes met Ellis’ dead grey ones directly for the first time that day. “I can’t. But I still want to help. That’s why I’m working for free until we can get your financial situation in order.”
Ellis’ fractured train of thought held onto this sincerest of statements for a few seconds, then tucked it away. Her dead gaze shifted ever so slightly to the plastic bags by the little prodigy’s feet. Kikyo followed her gaze and nodded, picking up a pair of black plastic bag emblazoned with the “Hot Topic” logo.
“Well, I figure if you manager someone, you oughta match them. Jojo’s a Japanese superstar, so I wore a Japanese uniform. For you, I went in and got as many different band shirts as I could find that were in your CD collection.”
“Have you ever heard of any of them?”
“I’ll learn. Oh, and I also bought a little handheld camera so we could shoot a promo later. Jack seems like he has a pretty huge budget, what with his own television show set and everything, so if it‘s really necessary, my dad‘s agreed to loan me...”
“Why can’t I get him out of my head? I want to kill him so bad...”
Kikyo tensed up again, seeing the living dead girl lost in her own thoughts.. thoughts that she had a feeling would shock the innocent right out of her, should she ever have them. “It’s best to focus on the now. This week’s match is a win-win situation. I mean, and I’ll be honest... I’ll always be honest from now on...”
“Thank you...”
“... I don’t like your chances this Sunday. I mean, of course you’re great. You could probably take on Cairo or Biggs alone one-on-one. But this new guy, Hughes... he seems like he’s gonna be a huge weak link. I mean, if he shows more prowess than he already has, more power to him. But I wouldn’t rely on it. You’re going to be alone out there.”
“So how is it win-win?”
“Think about it... even if you don’t win the match, look how much your stock is gonna go up! I mean, JJ Biggs is another one of the wave of newcomers who’s really showing prowess... and Cairo is the heavyweight champion! You make a good showing against him, you can almost be assured a Heavyweight title shot down the line. Plus, the fans are gonna understand that you’re carrying your whole team. You’re gonna kill out there... um... I mean...”
Ellis sighed, standing up, leaving what was left of a lunch she couldn’t choke down. “I get it. So where are we gonna shoot this promo?”
Kikyo hopped up, grabbing the various Hot Topic, Radio Shack, and Sam Goody bags. “I saw this old, broken down shack on the way here. I think we can get permission to shoot there.”
“Whatever.”
And with that, the two were gone form the mall scene, and made they way towards the parking garage, to the open road, to an eerie new partnership. Ellis knew in the back of her mind that Kikyo would end up suffering before this was all over. She knew Kikyo knew that. And she knew that Kikyo was alright with it.
Afternoon turned into evening slowly...
---
~Ellis
“I still don’t understand”, coughed out Ellis. It seemed to be getting harder to speak every day, her voice becoming raspy to the point of pain. She felt like she didn’t understand a lot of things... especially why, although the worthless third wheel of her match technically was the loser, Ellis still felt defeated. Why she kept thinking about him laughing and celebrating a title he claimed he didn’t care about. And why she was suddenly being thrusted into the lives of three people who she couldn’t give less of a fuck about. But this particular I Still Don’t Understand was one trying to make a point out of the conversation Ellis and Kikyo had been having for a while now.
Kikyo sighed, placing the notepad down. “Well... you remember how I told you the real reason I had Josephine come to America was so I could meet you? She sorta felt betrayed that I was using her. And in a way, I guess I sorta was. So we talked about it, and I cancelled my contract as her manager.”
“Yeah... I got that part. I mean... why manage me? You got hurt trying to defend me...”
“Eh... well, yeah. Don’t forget, I’ve been doing this for a year now. Gosh, I’ve even been through tables in Mexico. I’ll be okey-dokey. And as for why I wanna help you... I think we’ve talked about that.”
Ellis looked down at her pocket of waffle fries, at the ketchup smothering them, desperately wishing it was something similar, but so different... “I can’t pay you. I can’t even live on what they pay me here.”
“Hm? You can’t? Well, I guess that’s sorta why you need me. I mean, you have so much you gotta go through. So many things you gotta deal with, emotionally. I thought it’d help to have someone to take care of the boring stuff... ya know, like setting up promos, making deals... renegotiating contracts.”
Ellis forced a raspy chuckle, almost as if just to let this girl know rigor mortis hadn’t set in just yet. “Renegotiating. Big word for a 16 year old.”
“Yeah, well don’t forget, I did go to college here for four years. That helped.”
“You seem to old for your age, Kikyo. For someone who’s only 16, you’ve sure got your life together.”
“And for someone who’s 20, you sure seem ready to die... please take care of yourself.”
Again, conversation hit a standstill. Waffle fries grew colder. Ketchup congealed.
“Ellis-sama... I mean... Ellis... I didn’t see you after the show, after you went to chase Ace. What happened? What did you do to him?”
No reply.
“I just want to tell you, Ellis, that you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not the important one. This is all about you.”
Still no reply. The time for small talk was over. It was time to get back to talking business.
“Well... anyways, Ellis, I’ve been busy. Now, instead of that hotel room at South Ashford Heights, I got you an apartment of your own, it’s a bit run down, but a lot cheaper. Plus, after that match you put on at Payback, I’m pretty sure I can get you more money. See? Problem solved!”
“Did your parents ever beat you?”
The question caught Kikyo off guard, but those cold, dead eyes of the corpse girl told her that business was the last thing on her mind today. Laying all the cards on the table was going to be crucial.
“No. I mean, I barely ever saw them... dad owns Daioh entertainment industries, and mom’s a prize-winning journalist... but when I did see them, it was nothing but love... why do you ask?”
“You were talking business. I’m your client now. How can you understand what I’ve gone through that’s made me this... thing... if your life’s been so charmed?”
Kikyo’s bright auburn eyes met Ellis’ dead grey ones directly for the first time that day. “I can’t. But I still want to help. That’s why I’m working for free until we can get your financial situation in order.”
Ellis’ fractured train of thought held onto this sincerest of statements for a few seconds, then tucked it away. Her dead gaze shifted ever so slightly to the plastic bags by the little prodigy’s feet. Kikyo followed her gaze and nodded, picking up a pair of black plastic bag emblazoned with the “Hot Topic” logo.
“Well, I figure if you manager someone, you oughta match them. Jojo’s a Japanese superstar, so I wore a Japanese uniform. For you, I went in and got as many different band shirts as I could find that were in your CD collection.”
“Have you ever heard of any of them?”
“I’ll learn. Oh, and I also bought a little handheld camera so we could shoot a promo later. Jack seems like he has a pretty huge budget, what with his own television show set and everything, so if it‘s really necessary, my dad‘s agreed to loan me...”
“Why can’t I get him out of my head? I want to kill him so bad...”
Kikyo tensed up again, seeing the living dead girl lost in her own thoughts.. thoughts that she had a feeling would shock the innocent right out of her, should she ever have them. “It’s best to focus on the now. This week’s match is a win-win situation. I mean, and I’ll be honest... I’ll always be honest from now on...”
“Thank you...”
“... I don’t like your chances this Sunday. I mean, of course you’re great. You could probably take on Cairo or Biggs alone one-on-one. But this new guy, Hughes... he seems like he’s gonna be a huge weak link. I mean, if he shows more prowess than he already has, more power to him. But I wouldn’t rely on it. You’re going to be alone out there.”
“So how is it win-win?”
“Think about it... even if you don’t win the match, look how much your stock is gonna go up! I mean, JJ Biggs is another one of the wave of newcomers who’s really showing prowess... and Cairo is the heavyweight champion! You make a good showing against him, you can almost be assured a Heavyweight title shot down the line. Plus, the fans are gonna understand that you’re carrying your whole team. You’re gonna kill out there... um... I mean...”
Ellis sighed, standing up, leaving what was left of a lunch she couldn’t choke down. “I get it. So where are we gonna shoot this promo?”
Kikyo hopped up, grabbing the various Hot Topic, Radio Shack, and Sam Goody bags. “I saw this old, broken down shack on the way here. I think we can get permission to shoot there.”
“Whatever.”
And with that, the two were gone form the mall scene, and made they way towards the parking garage, to the open road, to an eerie new partnership. Ellis knew in the back of her mind that Kikyo would end up suffering before this was all over. She knew Kikyo knew that. And she knew that Kikyo was alright with it.
Afternoon turned into evening slowly...
---
~Ellis
