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Post by Jana Rikar on May 1, 2017 13:43:14 GMT
1 RP / 1750 Words
Deadline is 5/9 Noon EDT
Thanks!
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Post by starfish on May 9, 2017 14:12:22 GMT
“Big change of pace after the last show, right?”
Portland, Oregon is fast becoming Patrick Carson’s favorite city. New friends, new job, and a bunch of quiet places for him to film himself talking about matches. This one is a rather dead coffee shop, and instead of his usual GoPro setup, he's using a laptop camera. Dressed casually in a FFW Linda Gardner t-shirt, he's leaning back against the chair he's seated in.
“I'm gonna be honest,” he starts, “I'm starting to think this wrestling thing isn't for me. It's been great for my physical shape, but the travel; going out of my way every two weeks for a town I wouldn't normally be in, and the matches; turning up for some emotionally stunted teenager who hates me because I get attention and she doesn't, they get to me.”
Patrick shrugs.
“I should be more excited about this match, despite it probably being some attempt at a ratings ploy by Jana Rikar, but...I'm sorry, Noradorable. I just can't get up for this one.”
He laughs, “Phrasing, right? Honestly I'm just ready to be through with it. Which...is another sign to me that my heart isn't in it. Wrestling’s fun until it isn't, you know? But when the bell rings, I'm gonna have to be ready. Not out of some obligation to myself, or to Ms. Rikar, or even the fans.”
“It's out of obligation to Nora. I wouldn't feel good about myself if I went in there and just laid down for her...there it goes again!” He laughs again, “To go in there and not give my all, against her? I'm doing a disservice to her. It's not a ‘I don't want to fight my friend,’ thing. I'm not a primadonna like Coral, I just want it to be over.”
Patrick pauses, looking off to the right, smiling as he accepts a coffee from...someone. Whoever it is sits down opposite Pat, clearly gesturing and mouthing words to not be heard by his microphone.
“Yeah, I just need a few more minutes...gotta talk about facing Nora on Thursday.”
He looks at the camera again, his face painted with doubt.
“It was my dream, you know? Wrestling. Just to have one match, maybe to win one. That's what I did! How many people can say that, that they got up off the couch, went out there and lived their dream? But…”
He lets out a loud exhale through his nose, head hanging down for a moment before looking again at the camera, “But it's the reality that comes after the dream. Finding out that while you were good enough to try it...maybe you're not good enough to keep at it. Maybe it was just meant to be a brief journey.”
Patrick nods, “Guess I've got some thinking to do over the next few weeks, huh? But first thing’s first…”
Pat looks back over the computer, smiling and then chuckling at whatever the other person is gesturing for him to do. Then, for a moment, he closes his eyes...then opens them, “bowing up” and trying to look as big, tough, and angry as possible. He takes advantage of the mostly empty coffee house, screaming at the camera.
“NORA HARRIS YOU BETTER LISTEN UP! THIS THURSDAY, WHEN WE GET IN THE RING, I’M GONNA RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB! I’M GONNA WEAR YOUR CUTE LITTLE BOOTY LIKE A HAT YOU HEAR ME? OHHHH YOU DONE IT NOW, NORA, I’M GONNA BRING DOWN THE FIRE ON YOU! THE FIRE OF A THOUSAND GINGER SUNS AND THEN IT’S ON TO WHATEVER IS NEXT BECAUSE THAT’S HOW THE WORLD WORKS!”
A beat.
“I GUESS!”
He's already laughing before he can cut the video feed.
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Nora
New Member
Posts: 14 
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Post by Nora on May 9, 2017 15:07:04 GMT
“Hey, can I ask you something Patrick?”
Nora’s voice held a dreamy note, as she sat on the couch so relaxed she couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips. She gave him a few moments to say no, her dark eyes just looking at him and something about his expression made her laugh despite the gravity of what she wanted to say. She was wearing one of Patrick’s t-shirts, plucked with permission out of his bag with pink yoga pants and socks, and she wiggled her toes as she waited. She had a feeling he wanted to talk, but she didn’t want to push him until he was ready. Maybe if she started though, he would?
“Of course,” Patrick replied with a grin, “You know you can always ask me stuff.”
“Have you ever tried to help someone that didn’t want it, like even if you were once really good friends with them?” She worried her lower lip a second before she continued. “Or am I the only… I guess I just want to know if I’m wrong that I let this bug me so much. I know I can’t look at it like it was me? I know I’d want people to see me. I’d want to see you, and Saffy. Definitely not Megan.”
Nora watched as he chuckled a little, and then he sat down next to her, sliding his arms around her and giving her a warm hug, as if he knew she really needed it right then. She was quiet for a few moments, thinking something over before she spoke again.
She made a little face, then heaved out a sigh. “Sorry, that’s a little Debbie Downer. You don’t have to tickle me to get me to laugh and forget about it, I’m okay. I got everything taken care of, even if I am going to miss that purse.”
“Well,” he laughed again, softer. “Just don’t worry about that.”
“Well here we are, and I know that most people are thinking that this is just going to be us getting all weird because we happen to have a match. I’m not sorry to disappoint you, just so you know, if you’re the type of person that gets off on watching friends implode over one wrestling match either you have no friends or something that’s too rude for me to repeat.”
Nora hops up on a tall stool, her feet dangling above the floor as she idly kicks them, her sneakers thudding a little on the rungs.
“Don’t be like that, okay? It’s not healthy. Now I’m going to do my best out there to give Patrick a nice, competitive match because not only do I really like him as a person, I respect what he’s tried to do here. He had a dream, and instead of doing nothing about it? He got up and worked really hard, to just get a chance to do it. Now he has, and you know so many people never even get this far. There are training schools and gyms all around the country filled with people that couldn’t graduate even if they threw money at the instructor. Safety first! But it was his dream and I’m proud of him that he did it.”
Her smile was wide and beaming, her dark eyes glowing with happiness.
“I also know that no matter what, I’ve got the best thing of all and that’s a friend who no matter how far apart we might be, he’s going to be there for me when it counts. That means more to me than anything.”
She hopped down then, her sneakers hitting the tile with a pair of tiny squeaks.
“I may even twerk during our match, you NEVER KNOW! But above all else? WE are going to have FUN!”
She skips, literally skips out of the shot and leaves the camera focused on the chair until it shuts down.
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