#chris jericho one shot

[fingertipsmp3]

Once again thinking about the person who tried to guess my stepdad’s name and they went with ‘Errol’ as their first guess. What kind of life are you living that Errol is the first name that comes to mind for you

[90s-suplex]

Hiii I just wanted to say I really loveeee your little blog since I'm deep in the trenches for stone cold Steve Austin lmao (down bad)

it's literally so sad to hardly come across good stories about him (involving a reader) so I decided to hit you up and shoot my shot Abt requesting a little story where he's still in his attitude era but is also quite comforting and actively being caring through either his words or actions towards the reader. I'm never opposed to a little smut but if you don't want to for any reason then I don't mind it being left out.

Ofc if you're unable to or unwilling to write something like this then I completely get it and respect you for it. (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)

I also wanna apologize if I did this wrong since this is the first time I'm kinda interacting and actively being busy on Tumblr so it takes some getting used to haha

AN: based on this Steve Austin & Michael Cole segment because it lives in my mind rent free, I‘m sorry 🤐 (in case the hyperlink doesn‘t work, just search up ‚Stone Cold attacks Michael Cole‘ on youtube lmao)

I‘m not sure if you could classify this as ’actively taking care of reader’, I promise I tried writing something comforting & fluffy at first but since Austin is a smug lil‘ bastard this took a detour :3 I‘m sleepdeprived, so I hope this makes any sense lmao !

reader is genderneutral and not a wrestler :)

Summary: After witnessing Stone Cold Steve Austin‘s gradual decent into paranoia, you decide to talk some sense into him.

Tw: implied sexual references, mentions of wrestling typical violence

—————————————————————

“We're backstage with former hardcore champion Kurt Angle. Kurt, thank you for joining us for this quick interview," greeted Michael Cole the moment you turned on the TV.

A couple of minutes ago, Stone Cold and you had arrived at the arena. Being one of the top draws of the company, Austin had the luxury of a private dressing room and tonight you had decided to join him there instead of waiting for him at the hotel. 

Since he wasn’t scheduled to appear on TV until later parts of the show on this particular day, the two of you showed up when TV tapings were already well underway. After dropping off your belongings, you sank on the couch and switched on the TV to find out what had happened so far, while Austin went into the bathroom to get ready.

“Last Monday Night on Raw is War, the hardcore championship was on the line in your match against RVD. Stone Cold Steve Austin interfered and cost you the title when he tossed you down from the stage onto the concrete floor 10 feet below.“

Kurt pressed his lips together into a tight line as he listened to Michael Cole rehash last Monday night‘s events.

“Tonight you will team with Chris Jericho to take on RVD and Stone Cold Steve Austin,“ Cole continued. 

“How do you feel going up against a man like Austin, who has total disregard for your physical well-being?" Michael Cole implored, leaning closer.

“How do I feel?“ Kurt answered after snapping his head back, “I feel the same way about my tag team match tonight against Austin as I will at Unforgiven." 

The camera slowly zoomed in on Kurt. There was a film of sweat covering his face. He shifted his attention away from Cole, now pointing his index finger directly at the camera before he spoke again. 

"I feel like kicking Austin's ass. And after kicking his ass, I am gonna take his title. I will walk out Unforgiven as the new WWF champion." 

You looked over your shoulder. Said championship belt laid on the opposite end of the couch. You leaned over, grabbed it and took a good look at it.

"What?" a muffled voice came from behind you.

Oh, this will be interesting, you thought to yourself and placed the belt on your lap. It rumbled briefly before Austin opened the bathroom door and stepped out. 

"What did that sumbitch just say?" he asked you with his head cocked to the side. Austin had just finished changing into his black ring trunks, holding his shirt and jeans in his hand. 

You reached for the TV remote on the desk before you and turned up the volume.

"Kurt wants to kick your ass. He said he's gonna take your title too, while he's at it," you replied. 

Austin snorted in disapproval. He tossed his clothes onto a spare chair in the corner of the dressing room, shaking his head. "Good luck trying," he spat out.

With three quick strides, he stood next to you. "Can you believe the nerve of that guy? He's lucky this ain't a one-on-one match tonight."

He sank down onto the sofa. "Tonight he can hide behind his tag Team partner. But Kurt knows I can beat his ass any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.“ 

He paused for a moment and his eyes darkened, “Hell, I can beat both of their asses at the same time!“

You rolled your eyes. Over the last few months, Stone Cold had become increasingly more paranoid. Granted, he had always been quick-tempered and cocky. However, these tendencies had intensified drastically, reaching their peak the night he attacked Michael Cole on live TV, throwing ridiculous accusations at him and harassing him. 

The fast-paced life, countless hours on the road and injuries had worn him out, there was no denying that. He was on edge most of the time these days both on and off camera, always eager to start arguments with whoever crossed his path, though he never took his irritations out on you.

On the outside he was closed off, only allowing a handful of people to get to know him on a deeper level. You found it quite amusing how surprised other people would be to find out how he behaved behind closed doors when he craved your soft skin. Whenever you decided to join him on the road traveling from city to city, he’d always be thankful as you were his sweet little escape.

Regardless, you had grown tired of his mood swings and wanted to talk some sense into him. You felt bad for Cole. But knowing how stubborn and bull-headed Stone Cold was, you knew this could prove difficult. Especially since you weren’t part of this business. 

On the other hand, you weren‘t stupid - his abrasiveness was part of his appeal - both to the crowd and to you. You knew that and Austin did too. 

Your fingers drew mindless circles on the championship belt on your lap as the next match had just started on your backstage TV. 

“It‘s pretty, ain‘t it?“ he mused and pointed at the prized possession on your lap. His features had softened, revealing a slight smile.

You grazed over the ridges and nodded. 

“What‘s it made out of?“ you asked. Your reflection stared back at you from the squeaky clean golden surface. It couldn‘t be made out of real gold you figured - at least not entirely. Still, it had to be somewhat valuable.

When he didn‘t reply you looked back at him. He was scratching his beard.

“Ha! How .. ironic,“ you teased him drawing out your words. “You wanna whip Kurt‘s ass for trying to take your title but you don‘t even know if it‘s worth a dime?“

He exhaled, “Well, I don‘t know the specifics. They don‘t matter anyway.“

Austin moved closer to you and pointed at the nameplate on the belt. It displayed Stone Cold Steve Austin in capital letters. “You see? It’s more about the ideal value than the material one.“ 

“You do know I need my title back later, right?“ he snickered while playfully nudging your knee.

His hand stayed there and the two of you were silent for a few moments.

He spoke again, “Technically, it‘s not worth much. Some kind of cheap alloy.“

Aha. So it‘s worth nothing after all.

“But every time I go out to the ring, I bust my ass trying to make it look like the most prestigious thing in the world,“ Austin explained while he let his hand slowly trail up your inner thigh.

Your skin prickled under his touch. 

“And I‘d say I do a pretty good job at that,“ Austin squeezed your thigh lightly before he continued in a low tone, “What do ya think?“

He did. That‘s why you were curious about its actual worth in the first place. But you decided you’d rather mess with him a little bit.You returned his gaze. As he cocked his eyebrow awaiting your response, you simply shrugged half-heartedly.

“Kinda, I guess.“

Your answer earned you another chuckle from him. “Hard to impress, I see.“

With a final squeeze, he stood up to go fetch his training bag. You watched him leave to tape up his wrists in preparation for his upcoming match, but still felt his touch linger on you. As soon as his back was turned to you, you shifted on the couch and cleared your throat. Moments later, he returned to the couch along with his bag. You glanced at him out of the corner of your eyes as he pulled out his knee braces and put them on. 

You sank deeper into the couch. Suddenly you felt incredibly stupid. You were chewing at the inside of your mouth, pondering on how to tackle this topic.

“Have you ever thought about taking it down a few notches?“ you began and crossed your arms over your chest.

For a second, Austin seemed genuinely confused.

“Your attitude, I mean. You’ve become so irritable over the last months,“ you paused. “And paranoid. Lashing out at people, stirring shit up...“

Now he seemed to understand what you were trying to get at. 

After he finished adjusting his knee braces, he rubbed his face in a contemplative way. 

“Maybe you should take a break?“ you suggested.

He immediately dismissed the idea. “If I do that, I might as well call it quits. You heard it yourself, Kurt is itching to take my spot, as are all the other guys. You call it paranoid, I call it being prepared.“ 

Austin leaned back and put his arms on the back of the couch, “And I‘d rather be prepared than surprised and stabbed in the back.“

“Okay, I get that. But don‘t you think you‘ve taken it a bit too far lately?“

Images of Austin‘s unfair attack on Michael Cole on live TV a couple of weeks ago flashed before you. 

“Attacking staff? Really?“ you shot him a stern look. “Did you really have to stoop this low? You know Michael-“

You got interrupted by a big, hearty laugh from Austin.

“This is about Cole? You feel sorry for Cole?“ he chuckled.

You failed to recognize what was so funny about your remark.

“Don‘t worry, he can take it. Besides, he had it coming,“ he justified his actions. “He should know better than to run his mouth. He‘s been around long enough.“

When he noticed your dissatisfaction, he let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes. He was tired and he didn‘t want to start arguing with you. 

“But if it makes you feel any better, I can go talk to him.“ He didn‘t flat out say ‘apologize‘, but this was a good start. Better than nothing. 

Your face lit up and he regarded you with a certain spark in his eyes that you couldn‘t quite place.

Once again he inched closer towards you, “I don‘t get why you‘re getting worked up over this. As far as I am concerned, I‘ve always taken real good care of you. Ain‘t that right?“

He paid close attention to your reaction as he placed his hand on your thigh again. “Or would you say otherwise? I‘m open for critique.“

With his hand resting on your thigh, you knew what he was alluding to and you had to admit - he was right. He had always been more than … generous with his affection towards you. The heat between your legs returned and you cursed yourself for reacting that way right now.

“I saw you squirming earlier, “he added when you took too long to reply with a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

Great. And here you thought you were being discreet.

“This isn‘t about me, so don‘t try switching the topic.“ 

Austin raised his hand defensively, “Nobody‘s trying to switch the topic. I simply asked you a question. That‘s all.“

You exhaled through your nose and rolled your eyes with great exaggeration, making sure he saw it. “Yes, you‘re right,“ you disclosed in a flat tone.

„A bit more enthusiasm wouldn‘t hurt, you know. Should I be worried now?“

You stifled a laugh. You were supposed to be mad at him! 

„Feeling insecure now?“ you said and patted the back of his hand.

Mere seconds after those words left your lips Stone Cold grabbed your waist and sat you sideways on his lap.

You were briefly taken aback by the way he picked you up as if you weighed nothing and felt your cheeks heat up. He reached out to tuck one hair strand behind your ear. 

“Don‘t worry, I’m quite robust.“ 

You avoided his gaze. How long until he had to leave for his match? You turned your head to check out the time on the clock behind you. Immediately, he took advantage of you exposing your neck. Austin‘s lips brushed over the thin, sensitive skin on your neck and you held your breath. 

“But I’m curious now. Go on, tell me. How do I make you feel?“

He grinned against your skin as his hand found his way under your shirt, slowly wandering up your back. 

“Don‘t I make you feel good?“ he murmured before slightly biting at the nape of your neck, which had you biting back a moan. 

“Lost your tongue now, huh?“

Oh well, now that you thought about it, you had successfully gotten your point across. Considering the fact that Austin would have to leave for his match soon, you might as well continue this conversation another time you decided.

He bit you again, waiting for an answer.

You pressed your legs together. “Y-Yes, you do..“

Shifting in his lap, you moved in to kiss him, but at the last moment, he pulled away. 

You blinked at him with your lips still pursed. What?

He seemed to revel in your disappointment. 

“Sorry,“ he gestured at the TV behind you. „Gotta get going.“ 

He maneuvered you back onto the couch and got up.

“What’s that sour face for, sweet-cheeks?“ he teased.

He lowered his tone. “I‘ll be back in 30 minutes. You think you can wait that long?“

You sat back and crossed your arms over your chest. Eventually, you nodded and handed him his title. 

A few seconds later he was out the door.

[bisexual-kane]

One particularly obnoxious strand of bad AEW discourse is that Tony Khan is some kind of tyrant booker who forces wrestlers into spots/storylines/promos that are dangerous/uncomfortable.

(Kenny taking bumps Wednesday and Ospreay's shot at Triple H come to mind.)

I may be wrong, but at one time, AEW didn't really function like WWE where Vince dictated everything. Instead, wrestlers pitched their own ideas and Tony gave them a thumbs up or thumbs down.

It's kind of why a lot of WWE refugees like Andrade El Idolo felt like they didn't do much. Without Triple H/Vince dictating a story, what were they to do? Malachi Black in particular totally has the vibes of a guy who has really, really cool ideas--but they are ideas and not stories, so despite House of Black being heavily featured, it feels like they never do anything.

Meanwhile, The Elite (and all of their friends/hangers-on/dick riders) have spent a lot of time developing their own characters and improv skills through New Japan, ROH, PWG, and (I cannot emphasize this enough) BTE. Jon Moxley in particular when he bailed on WWE talked up a lot about how he wanted the freedom to improv promos and that he didn't need a script because that ain't wrestling to him. You can also see people like Christian Cage and Adam Copeland (and even Chris Jericho), who left WWE by choice who are really excited to be in AEW because they get a chance to flex creative muscles they didn't get to in WWE and they are doing really interesting and cool things.

(I mean, I know we are all sour on Chris Jericho right now in 2024, but Inner Circle Jericho was a really great heel champion.)

Again, I am totally just an outside fan who has no inner knowledge. But at least at one point, AEW was trying to be a more collaborative environment. Tony Khan has final say about what goes on the show, but the talent themselves are doing a lot of pitching the ideas about what ends up on it.

Like, Tony is not making Will Ospreay go out there and take shots at Triple H against his will. Stop making up a villain in your head, people. jeeze.

[elitehanitje]

Former AEW Star Jake Hager Accuses Tony Khan Of Being 'Communist'

Presidential elections are usually a stressful time for all involved, regardless of what side one falls on, and the 2024 Presidential Election appears to have been no different. That's especially the case for former WWE, Bellator, and AEW star Jake Hager, a Donald Trump supporter who spent Tuesday evening hurling accusations against his former boss, AEW owner Tony Khan, a Kamala Harris supporter.

At first, Hager was seen tweeting derogatory remarks towards women and abortion rights. That changed at around 11 p.m. when a fan responded to a Hager tweet by tagging Khan and Bryan Danielson to "check your dumbass drunk boy," falsely believing Hager was still employed by AEW. It was then Hager shot back.

Hager didn't stop there, however. Ten minutes after this exchange, Hager fired off another tweet.

All of Hager's tweets from the evening have since been deleted. Khan appears to have not responded to Hager's statements, with his most recent tweet promoting AEW's upcoming "Dynamite" episode from Manchester, New Hampshire. Following Hager's tirade, independent promotion Blitzkrieg Pro! removed Hager from their upcoming show on December 14, citing his behavior on social media.

Hager then became the subject of ridicule from everyone after he called his former boss, the billionaire Tony Khan, a communist and birthed a lot of memes.

While not a "Day 1" member of the AEW roster, Hager debuted in the promotion not long after, appearing at the first-ever episode of "Dynamite" to align with Chris Jericho, Santana, Ortiz, and Sammy Guevara, forming the Inner Circle stable. Hager would largely remain by Jericho's side throughout his AEW tenure, including becoming a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society, before abandoning Jericho in mid-2023. His contract with AEW expired in May 2024.

[blowflyfag]

Inside Wrestling: Volume 26, 2009

PUNK & KOFI: Linked by Professional Adversity

It is a testament to one’s willpower to have everything you have ever hoped for taken from you in a single instant. The real test isn’t how you react at that very moment, but what you do afterwards. For C.M. Punk and Kofi Kingston, they have answered that call to the highest degree

By Dan Harrington

WHAT MAKES A TAG TEAM great? There are several answers to that question. It could be the technical brilliance The Steiners possessed. It could be the seamless teamwork of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express. It could be the pure ferocity of The Road Warriors. Or … it could be a much more subtle–but no less important–quality like the one shared by current WWE World tag team champions, C.M. Punk and Kofi Kingston: motivation. 

To be successful as a tag team, both members must be committed to the team concept. It’s a state of mind that says, “What we do as a team comes before what I accomplish individually.”

And if anybody is jaded with the hollow ring of individual achievement in WWE these days, it’s C.M. Punk and Kofi Kingston. Both men scored surprise title victories only to see circumstances conspire to unceremoniously take their respective titles from them after unsatisfying and undistinguished reigns. 

[Despite turning back several challenges to his World title, Punk was often left sprawled out in the ring (above). Getting revenge against Manu (below), who attacked Punk at Unforgiven, has restored some luster to his reputation.]

Now, linked by their individual misfortunes, Punk and Kingston are determined to prove to WWE and the rest of the world that their absorbed singles title reigns were not representative of their abilities. And both men are 100 percent committed to the team concept. 

“C.M. and me, we got somet’ing to prove,” Kingston explained. “We got some bad breaks. But the tag team t’ing is helping us turn it all around.”

To understand their commitment to dominating the tag ranks, it is important to understand exactly why each man is so motivated to prove himself. 

In Kingston’s case, he lost the Intercontinental title at SummerSlam in an intergender winner-takes-all match, when Santino Marella, who was teaming with Beth Phoenix, pinned Kofi’s partner, and then-WWE women’s champion, Mickie James. While it was hardly a fair way for Kingston to lose his title, the truth is his five-week reign was anything but special. 

Punk’s WWE World title stint was dubious at best. After leaving WrestleMania 24 with the “Money In The Bank” Briefcase and a guaranteed title shot of his choice, Punk cashed in on Raw after being sent to the red brand via the WWE draft.

In a move that was wildly described as dishonorable, Punk pinned then-World champion Edge after Batista had all but KO’d The “Rated R Superstar” with an impromptu beatdown. As Edge stumbled around the ring in a daze, Punk rushed in, nailed Edge with a GTS, and covered him for the pin.

Punk was certainly within his rights to pounce on Edge, but the victory felt tainted. And if there were any doubts about Punk’s qualifications as World champ, WWE created more questions than answers in the following weeks by having narrowly escaped challenges from Batista, Kane, JBL, and Chris Jericho. In many of these matches, Punk was left lying in the ring. In short, Punk hardly cut the figure of a worthy champ. 

The ultimate indignity came when Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr., and Manu attacked Punk prior to his Raw Championship Scramble match at Unforgiven. Unable to wrestle, WWE matchmakers nominated Jericho to substitute for Punk, and Y2J left the scramble with Punk’s World title. The next night on Raw, Punk never even came close to regaining the strap in a rematch with Jericho. 

[As I-C champion, Kingston often struggled against inferior wrestlers like Santino Marella (above), but he has looked much more comfortable as a tag team wrestler, as former tag team champ Cody Rhodes found out (right).]

Like Kingston, Punk was portrayed as a paper champion who never really deserved to wear the gold. From a historical perspective, both men will most likely be viewed as transitional champs, insignificant footnotes in WWE history.

Of course, most fans believe Punk and Kingston are too talented to be swept onto the scrapheap of history. More importantly, Punk and Kingston believe it with every fiber of their being. Hence, they are driven by something deeper than the desire for glory. They want to clear their names, redeem themselves, and advance their careers.

“Nothing motivates you quite like getting the shaft,” said former four-time champion, Batista. “Punk and Kingston are on a mission to show everyone they deserve better. But there’s really nothing they can do about it, aside from going out and winning. And that’s what they’re doing, so more power to ‘em.”

Raw announcer Michael Cole feels this necessity to prove themselves makes Punk and Kofi the most dangerous, if not potentially dominant, Raw tag team.

“Unlike Morrison and The Miz, Cryme Tyme, or Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr., Punk and Kofi have much more riding on the tag title,” he said. “They want validation, and I think that desperation gives them an edge no other teams can match right now.”

Cole has a point: Punk and Kingston have skills and athleticism aplenty, as do several other WWE tag teams. But what separates them from those other teams is their obsession with proving their mettle. After all, at this point, failing at the tag team level could prove catastrophic for both superstars.

Just how long Punk and Kingston will retain the title remains to be seen, as does their place among the all-time great tag teams, but having a pair of committed, motivated champions serving as the standard-bearers for an up-and-down tag team division bodes well for WWE as well as Punk and Kinston. Maybe by restoring glory to the tag team ranks, Punk and Kingston just might find the redemption they’re seeking. Heaven help the team that gets in their way.

[Punk and Kingston show off their new hardware after beating Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. for the World tag team title. Both men hope their title reign will help re-establish them as premiere WWE wrestlers.]

[thewisemankey]

A Small Wrestling Rant

I wanted to think things were getting better when it came to wrestling fandom as a whole, but toxic tribalism coupled with REALLY shitty hot takes feels like it's a LOT worse now than it was before because people keep picking apart major companies like their words are gospel. It's ESPECIALLY bad on Facebook and Instagram.

So let me say this here for the record:

WWE is definitely hitting on all cylinders as of late ever since Mania 40, but at the same time, y'all need to remember they also wasted a Queen of the Ring tourney and a Women's Title shot at Summerslam on a shoot idiot like Nia Jax. And let's not forget some slip-ups at the MITB PPV.

And AEW is still doing very good business no matter what people are saying about ratings and attendance...but once again at the same time they're still giving Chris Jericho title reigns in 2024.

Fact is, neither company is perfect. And even then perfection is a subjective word. Both are still going to be around for the forseeable future, and they're going to continue doing both bad and good moves. If you don't like one or the other, don't focus on the one you don't care for. The secret to letting something die is to not talk about it AT ALL.

Food for thought, y'all.

[let-me-love-you-loki]

Nowhere to Run--Ch. 58

Warning: Description of childbirth to follow. It's a little graphic, but not much.

Chapter 58

            It was a sensation that nearly knocked me to my knees. The only way to describe it was a pulling pressure that came in waves like the worst period cramps I’d ever had. I let out a moan of discomfort that reverberated in my bones. For a moment I thought I was going to pass out.

            There was a flurry of attention and movement as a crowd of people settled around me. Faces blurred together. I heard Tony’s voice calling for medical. I felt hands on my wrist, something cold against my chest.

            “Ms. Prince,” came a voice. Distant. Calm. Clinical. “Are you injured? Are you experiencing contractions? How far apart are they?”

            I couldn’t catch a breath long enough to reply. Yes, oh God, yes I was having contractions. How far apart? They weren’t.

            “Focus, Kat,” Jack’s voice came from nowhere. “C’mon, Kit Kat. Focus.”

            Fingers threaded through mine, squeezing gently. Someone lifted my shirt. I snapped back to reality as a stethoscope pressed against my belly. I caught a glimpse of Santana running toward the tunnel. Tay pushed people back down the hallway. Jack held my hand in both of his. I could feel his mass of curls against my cheek.

            An ache ran through me that had nothing to do with the pain lancing through my body. It had been so long since Jack had been kind to me. Truly kind. But just then it was as if nothing had changed. As if that day in my apartment in California had never been. No fighting about me being with Chris. No venom and hurtful words. Just my best friend, the person I’d relied on for so long. The scent of Jack’s shampoo slammed into me, and I couldn’t help but remember sitting in the hospital that final day with him while we waited for the inevitable. Jack and I clinging to one another as we cried quietly, my face buried in his hair.

            “Look at me,” he said firmly. He squeezed my hand hard, snapping me out of the memory. “Look at me, Kat.”

            I blinked as his face came into view. Pain shot through my back and around my belly. I ached. I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom. I felt like I was going to vomit. That sensation inside me shifted lower and settled on my pelvis. It was strange. It was frightening. It hurt.

            “EMS is five minutes out.”

            “Why the fuck aren’t they here?” It was Jack screaming, his voice cracking with rage. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

            The pain crested and slammed into me with enough force to shove the breath out of my lungs. I couldn’t hold back the scream as my body tensed, bearing down of its own accord.

            EMS or not, the baby was coming now.

***

            The crowd of people in the hallway scared the shit out of Jericho as he ran full tilt behind Santana. He heard Kat scream, and he started shoving people out of the way. He didn’t care who it was or where they ended up, only that they were between him and her.

            “Fucking move!” he shouted as he passed by Christopher Daniels. The other man slammed into the wall shoulder first, cursing under his breath as he watched Jericho race past.

            The backstage medical team was there. Tay held people back at the other end of the hallway. He barely recognized the rest of the Inner Circle standing there watching. Kat was on top of a road crate, leaning back against an absolutely terrified looking Tony Khan.

            Jericho wanted to roar at them all to get out of the way. To stop staring. To do something. He wanted them to disappear. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. This wasn’t right.

            “C’mon, Kit Kat,” Jack Perry said from her side. She had his hand in a white-knuckle grip. “Just breathe. Five minutes.”

            “I don’t have five minutes,” she growled back. “This baby is coming now!”

            Jericho barreled through the medical team to her side. Something inside him realized that it was a waste of precious time to try to get rid of Jack Perry. Instead, he took up the place opposite him. Kat’s face was flushed, sweat already beading on her hairline. She had nearly folded herself in half, teeth clenched, fear in her eyes. Oh fuck, he thought, this kid is going to be born in a hallway.

            “Where’s Chris?” she whined as she gasped for air. It seemed like a momentary reprieve from the pain.

            He finally reached her side and took her hand in his. “I’m right here, Kat.”

            His heart thumped against his ribs as he looked over her toward Jack Perry. “What happened?” His worry for Kat far outweighed his hatred for the younger man.

            “I just walked up, and she was leaning against the wall,” he said in a shaking voice. It suddenly dawned on Jericho how much fear clouded Jack’s eyes. “I ran to TK so they could get you. Then I came back here.”

            “Where’s the ambulance?” They almost always had one on standby backstage.

            Jack scowled. “On the way.”

            Before Jericho could say anything, Kat let out a wail of anguish through her clenched teeth.

            “Get ‘em off!” she ordered. It took him a moment to realize she meant her pants. He looked around, acutely aware of the crowd of people watching.

            He glanced between Tony and Jack. “Help me get her to the trainer’s room.”

            Kat thrashed in pain. “Get them off!” The words came out as a roar as she doubled over.

            As uncomfortable as it was, he complied. Between them, he and Jack were able to shield her from most of the prying eyes. Her wet underwear and pants were dropped to the floor. Jericho tried to figure out a way to hide her further but didn’t want to leave her long enough to find something. In a smooth motion that barely jostled Kat, Tony slipped off his jacket and draped it over her the best he could.

            “Towels. Sheets. Gear. I don’t care,” Tay shouted at Ortiz and Sammy, pointing over their shoulders toward the locker rooms. They stared at her in surprise. “Go! And fucking hurry!”

            Kat squeezed his hand so tightly that he lost feeling in his fingers. She gasped for breath and doubled over, drawing her knees up involuntarily. He looked beneath the jacket draped over her legs.

            “Jesus Christ,” he rasped. “I can see… Kat, she’s coming!”

***

            “Help me,” I moaned. I felt it, felt something happening that I knew I couldn’t stop. “Somebody help…”

            The worst pain I’d ever felt tore through me. It felt like my body would split in half. I couldn’t stop the scream that ripped from my throat as the pain and pressure peaked.

            “Catch…” I gasped, unable to control my body. “Catch her.”

            One of them disentangled their hand from mine. I didn’t know what to do but grip the side of the road case so hard that I thought I was going to break my fingers.

            And then, suddenly, the pain and pressure were gone. I gasped and choked for air as I slumped backward. I thumped against something warm. Someone. I tilted my head, blinking through sweat-blurred eyes to see Tony Khan sitting between me and the wall.

            “Hey boss,” I slurred with a faint smile. The relief of the pain seemed to make me drunk.

            “Kat,” Chris said, his awe-filled voice filtering into my brain. I felt his fingers brushing my hair back from my face. His forehead settled against my temple. “You’re amazing, Katarina Prince. Amazing. Look, sweetheart. Look.”

            I heard sirens in the distance. Blinking sweat from my eyes, I finally took stock of everything around me. People were still hovering at either end of the hallway. Sammy looked green as he held an armful of towels. Santana, Ortiz, and Tay worked to push everyone out of the way, shouting that they needed to make room for the EMS.

            My attention wavered for a fraction of a second. The sound of crying drew my attention. Jack stood between my knees with a blood-tinged towel wrapped around a bundle in his arms. A little fist waved in the air. Something caught in my chest.

            After all this time, our daughter was here. There was a new strange sensation of something still inside me—her umbilical cord probably—but I couldn’t make myself think of anything else. Even when a feeling of pressure started low in my stomach again.

            I held out my arms, not willing to delay holding my daughter any longer. Jericho reached up, his deft fingers undoing the buttons at the top of my AEW polo. He held the fabric open as Jack helped settle her against my chest. She was warm and slippery.

            She was perfect.

            The last thing I heard before exhaustion started to turn my senses funny was the sound of squeaking wheels and unfamiliar voices. And the echo of Jack Perry shouting.

            “Took you fucking long enough!”

________________________

Tag List

@spaghetti-hoop

@rollynchwhore

@lilred91

@unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin

@mariejr88-blog

@not-that-kinda-gurl08

@ryantaylorgirl

@daddyslittlevillain

@mrsmatt

@thenerdybaker523

[wrestlingisfake]

AEW Fake Rankings, 10/20/2024

Men's singles division - babyfaces

Will Ospreay

Darby Allin

Ricochet

Jay White

Mark Briscoe (ROH men's world champion)

Daniel Garcia

Orange Cassidy

Kyle O'Reilly

HOOK

Katsuyori Shibata

Men's singles division - heels

Jon Moxley (AEW men's world champion)

Kazuchika Okada (AEW continental champion)

Adam Page

Konosuke Takeshita (AEW international champion)

Christian Cage

Jack Perry (AEW TNT champion)

Chris Jericho

Kyle Fletcher

Shelton Benjamin

Roderick Strong

Unranked: Aaron Solo, Angelico, AR Fox, Atlantis Jr.*, Big Bill, Bryan Keith, Hologram, Jeff Jarrett, Johnny TV, Juice Robinson, Komander, Lio Rush*, Minoru Suzuki*, Nick Wayne, Rocky Romero*, Serpentico/Jon Cruz, The Butcher

Jobbers: Alpha Zo*, BEEF*, Chris Nastyy*, Cody Chhun*, Jack Cartwheel*, Joe Keys*, Marcus Mathers*, Matt Brannigan*, Olumide*, Ryan Clancy*, TJ Crawford

* Not listed on AEW's official roster webpage

Moxley has declared war on the AEW roster (or at least the men's locker room), and it feels like he'll spend at least the next six months clobbering wave after wave of "complacent" midcarders. Darby Allin is clearly being set up as a major destination for this saga, but I'm not certain if he'll be Moxley's first big challenger, or if he'll be saved for the end like Sting in 1997. There's also foreshadowing of Orange Cassidy and Daniel Garcia stepping up, and I think Hook and Kyle O'Reilly would fit in that role as well. But only one guy can get the rub of dethroning Mox, and we'll just have to wait and see who that will be.

Heading into Full Gear on November 23, the other top programs look to be Jay White vs. Adam Page, Ospreay vs. Fletcher, Takeshita vs. Fletcher, Jericho vs. Briscoe, Garcia vs. Perry, Swerve Strickland vs. Shelton Benjamin, and Adam Cole vs. MJF. I expect Hook vs. Christian Cage will be a thing too, but right now it's just an educated guess that Christian is the one who attacked Hook's father.

Men's tag team division - babyfaces

The Acclaimed - Max Caster & Anthony Bowens

FTR - Dax Wheeler & Cash Wheeler

Private Party - Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen

Dustin Rhodes (ROH trios champion) & Sammy Guevara (ROH tag team champions)

The Outrunners - Truth Magnum* & Turbo Floyd*

Men's tag team division - heels

The Young Bucks - Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson (AEW tag team champions)

Grizzled Young Veterans - James Drake* & Zack Gibson*

MxM Collection - Mason Madden* & Mansoor*

Matt Taven & Mike Bennett

Brian Cage (ROH men's television champion) & Lance Archer

Iron Savages - Bulk Bronson* & Beefcake Boulder*

* Not listed on AEW's official roster webpage

The state of the tag division is this: The Bucks are heel champions with no one to fight. The Acclaimed haven't ever gotten a clean two-on-two title shot all year, but they don't seem to be in a hurry to get it anymore. FTR and Private Party already lost to the Bucks. The Outrunners, MxM, and the Iron Savages are all cool as hell, but they're comedy acts that can't beat anybody. I don't think GYV have been around since they got upset by the Outrunners, which may be a sign that they aren't going to be back. Rhodes-Guevara and Taven-Bennett are big deals in ROH but off the radar in AEW. Don Callis has put Cage and Archer together to chase the tag title, but I don't see that going anywhere as long as the champions are also heels.

I'd like to see Private Party rack up a big win to get back into the title hunt, but I don't see why that should turn out any differently than the title match they just lost last week. So it feels like the division is going nowhere, marking time until the Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi) are ready to feud with the Bucks. Which, I'd be fine with doing that feud, but not if it means keeping the division in deep freeze for a couple more months.

Men's trios division - babyfaces

Malakai Black & Brody King & Buddy Matthews

Action Andretti & Dante Martin & Darius Martin

Dark Order - Evil Uno & John Silver & Alex Reynolds

Men's trios division - heels

Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta & PAC (AEW trios champions)

La Faccion Ingobernable - Rush & Dralistico & The Beast Mortos

Premier Athletes - Tony Nese & Josh Woods & Ariya Daivari

Moxley's running buddies control the trios title, which works out well since all the undercard scrubs they keep beating up can then demand a match and get clobbered in a trios match. This seems to be giving Dark Order and Action-Darius-Dante something to work with, even if it's not much and they have no hope of winning. I think Daniel Garcia and Private Party would be a stronger trio to go after the title, but they're not done yet with Jack Perry and the Young Bucks.

The House of Black is remarkably well protected for a group that never figures into any major storylines. Are they being built up to take the belts from Claudio, Pac, and Yuta? Could Julia Hart return to counter Marina Shafir? Who knows.

I stuck LFI in the trios division because I really don't know what those three guys are going to do, now that they're all in the same team with Jake Roberts. I don't think AEW knows either, so that'll probably lead to a bunch of throwaway trios matches. Hopefully they can at least win those matches, which would keep them ahead of Neese-Woods-Daivari.

Women's division - babyfaces

Britt Baker

Willow Nightingale

Jamie Hayter

Kris Statlander

Anna Jay

Queen Aminata

Nyla Rose

Yuka Sakazaki

Lady Frost*

Trish Adora*

Women's division - heels

Mariah May (AEW women's world champion)

Mercedes Mone (AEW TBS champion, STRONG women's champion)

Kamille

Serena Deeb

Taya Valkyrie

Emi Sakura

Harley Cameron

Robyn Renegade*

Jobbers: Amira*, Brooke Havok*, Zoey Lynn*

* Not listed on AEW's official roster webpage

You'd think Marina Shafir would be running rough-shod over the women's division to lock up its top title the way Moxley has with the men. The problem is that moving the world title would disrupt the Mariah May/Toni Storm/Mina Shirakawa storyline. I guess Shafir could crush Mone, but I don't know if that would do either of them any good. Sooner or later, though, it will become clear that Marina is the woman to beat, which will get awkward if there are too many champions that can't beat her.

As it is, the big programs for the women right now are Mariah vs. Anna Jay, Mone and Kamille vs. Statlander, and, uh, Jamie Hayter vs. Penelope Ford? It feels like there should be more going on right now. But I don't know where Britt and Willow are headed, Deonna Purrazzo and Taya Valkyrie keep doing pre-taped promos about nothing, and Toni Storm is still roaming the world pretending she doesn't know who Mariah May is. After five years AEW's women's roster finally has some real depth, but that only gets the division so far when it only gets 3-4 matches per week.

No televised AEW matches in over 30 days: Abadon, Athena (ROH women's world champion), Brandon Cutler, Diamante, Lee Moriarty (ROH pure champion), Marhsall Von Erich* (ROH trios champion), Preston Vance, Red Velvet (ROH women's television champion), Ross Von Erich* (ROH trios champion), Shane Taylor, Shawn Dean

* Not listed on AEW's official roster webpage

Not much new to report about the wrestlers officially signed to AEW but almost exclusively appearing on Ring of Honor. They're on the shows, they're getting work, it's just that almost nobody hears about it. The worst part is most of these names can't even get booked on an ROH pay-per-view.

No televised AEW or ROH matches in over 30 days: Anthony Ogogo, Angelo Parker, Austin Gunn, Bishop Kaun, Bobby Dutch, Colten Gunn, Deonna Purrazzo, Griff Garrison, Hikaru Shida, Jay Lethal, Kip Sabian, Leila Grey, Lee Johnson, Marina Shafir, Matt Menard, Peter Avalon, Swerve Strickland, Thunder Rosa, Toa Liona, Toni Storm, Vincent Marseglia

The bad news is that I don't know why most of these wrestlers haven't been in the ring lately, but the good news is most of them haven't been completely MIA. Some were around in late August/early September, some are on the show right now but not wrestling, and some are booked for the next couple of weeks. That's what I like to see.

No televised AEW or ROH matches in over 90 days: Colt Cabana, Danhausen, Kiera Hogan, Madison Rayne, Mercedes Martinez, Penta El Zero Miedo, Powerhouse Hobbs, Rey Fenix, Ricky Starks

These are the wrestlers I'm worried about. Colt and Madison seem to be transitioning to backstage roles and/or semi-retirement, so that's okay. But I have no idea why Tony Khan would have Danhausen, Starks, Penta, and Fenix on the payroll and not book them. I realize Penta and Fenix are reportedly planning to go to WWE, but that doesn't mean you can use them to do a few jobs on the way out. Hobbs is supposed to be medically cleared, so I don't understand why he wasn't around for the big Don Callis Family promo on October 16. Hogan and Martinez seem to have fallen off the face of the earth.

No televised AEW or ROH matches in 2024: Adam Cole, Kota Ibushi, Michael Nakazawa, Miro, Penelope Ford, Scorpio Sky, Tay Melo

Cole and Ford just got back and should be returning to the ring imminently. Ibushi has already returned to the ring in Japan and I figure he'll be back in an AEW ring soon enough. I've heard Melo is training to return from maternity leave so it's probably just a matter of time. Nakazawa seems to just be a backstage guy at this point. It was recently reported that Miro requested his release, but evidently he hasn't gotten it. AEW was running hype videos for Scorpio a few months ago but then dropped it, so I have no idea.

Part-time/semi-retired: Alex Abrahantes, Karen Jarrett, Luther, Mark Sterling, Nigel McGuinness, Paul Wight, Prince Nana, Rebel, Satnam Singh, Sonjay Dutt, Stokely Hathaway

I suppose I'll have to move Bryan Danielson into this list, once he's gotten his neck issues worked out and if he can still go on a part-time basis.

Inactive

Adam Copeland (left leg - tibia fracture)

Angel Ortiz (right shoulder - pectoralis tear)

Bandido (left arm - wrist fracture)

Bryan Danielson (storyline injuries - probably to set up legit neck surgery)

Chuck Taylor (left ankle - necrosis)

Eddie Kingston (right leg - tibia fracture, ACL/meniscus tear)

Julia Hart (shoulder - unspecified injury)

Keith Lee (undisclosed injury)

Kenny Omega (diverticulitis)

Killswitch (double pneumonia)

Leyla Hirsch (elbow - dislocation)

Mark Davis (left arm - wrist fracture)

Matt Sydal (right foot - malunion fractures)

MJF (filming Happy Gilmore 2)

Nick Comoroto (hip resurfacing)

Riho (work visa delays)

Ruby Soho (pregnant)

Samoa Joe (filming Twisted Metal season 2)

Saraya (storyline - "incapacitated")

Skye Blue (right ankle - fracture)

The Blade (lower back - herniated disc)

Trent Beretta (neck - hardware removal surgery)

Wardlow (knee - unspecified injury)

I haven't heard any significant updates on any of these wrestlers. Lately it seems like a report will come out that so-and-so is medically cleared, and then so-and-so still sits in the twilight zone for months before they come back. So even if there was news I don't think it would help us estimate when a wrestler will return to the ring.

[rawiswhore]

Various WWF Wrestlers/Jack Tripper x Fem Reader- "I Love This Bar"

For those about to read this fanfiction, you can either ship yourself with these male wrestlers or Jack Tripper. Or both.

______________________________________________________________

When the World Wrestling Federation resurged in popularity during the dawn of the new millennium--even eclipsing the 1980's WWF in popularity---the WWF launched their own restaurant during the Attitude era known as WWF New York, which of course, was located in New York.

Many professional wrestlers during that time would stand inside WWF New York promoting it.

The WWF New York restaurant of course had a bar people could order drinks from.

If it's Jack Tripper you want...

One of the things "Three's Company" is known for is the Regal Beagle pub that Jack, Janet and Chrissy hung out in.

"Three's Company" was also known for Jack being a womanizer and having a lot of hypersexualized women trying to flirt with him, as well as women having many upskirt shots.

On a "Monday Night Raw" episode that aired near the end of the year 2000---the same year that the WWF New York restaurant was launched---there was a moment in that episode where you were in that WWF New York restaurant standing on top of the bar's table.

Located in front of the bar was Christian Cage, Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, Al Snow and Raven.

Those 4 men were the sexiest men in the WWF that year.

All of those men in this scene had their long hair hanging down, and Al and Raven had shaved their facial hair off.

That's a good thing since they didn't look too good with it.

Not only were those wrestlers standing in front of that bar's table, so were a crowd of other men and women.

When you were standing on that bar's table, you were wearing a rather short skirt so those men in front of you---in particular those wrestlers---could see up your skirt.

While you stood on top of that table, you slightly danced with a smirk on your face, your hands placed at the sides of your head while your fingers were laced and running down through your hair.

Your hips swayed back and forth while Christian, Chris, Jeff, Al and Raven looked up at you.

Al and Christian were really the ones smiling, Raven was staying in character and mostly scowled and sneered, and many people surrounding them watching you dance were also smiling and cheering for you.

If they could, Christian and some of those other wrestlers would pull out some money and hand it to you.

You, on the other hand, looked at Christian, Chris, Jeff, Al and Raven with a smile on your face as this camera filmed you as well as them.

You wish other male wrestlers could be watching you dance on this table---Scott Hall, Triple H in late 1997/early 1998, Shawn Michaels, Val Venis if he grew his hair back, Rob Van Dam, Nova from ECW, and the list goes on.

However, many of those wrestlers were in other companies, Val cut his hair and he became more conservative, Nova didn't look good with facial hair that year and Triple H started looking terrible in the year 2000 when he became the Game (he also had Stephanie McMahon with him).

When you danced on that bar's table, you weren't drunk nor were you pretending to be drunk.

This moment was like a moment from the movie "Coyote Ugly"---which also was released in the year 2000, although you didn't pour beer on your breasts even though you wish you could've.

You actually were considered a role for that movie, but you turned it down.

During a "Three's Company" episode that aired at the end of the 1970's, there was an episode where Jack visited the Regal Beagle and you had gotten a little bit too tipsy and wild.

So wild, that you climbed on top of the Regal Beagle's pub table and began dancing, which caught Jack's as well as everyone else in the pub's attention.

You swayed your hips back and forth and wore a short skirt, and Jack was standing in front of that pub's table looking up your skirt.

When he was filmed, he was filmed above his chest staring up at you.

You smiled with a grin on your face while you looked at Jack.

Jack wasn't gonna lie, he was getting a boner from looking up your skirt.

If only you weren't drunk.

If "Three's Company" could show lots of upskirt shots, Janet with her legs a bit open and her pantyline covering her vulva, and women walking around wearing nothing but towels (as well as being a show where a man lives with 2 women before he married them!), then they can show you dancing on top of a pub's table.

[fang-revives]

Double or Nothing 2024 Fantasy Booking

Here's my bookings for the DoN card! Note these aren't necessarily what I think will happen but they are what I would like to happen. I'll rank how hype I am for the match too, with 1/5 being "I'll probably use this as a bathroom break" and 5/5 being "I am most looking forward to this".

Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo (2/5 hype)

Rosa, by virtue of being an existing AEW fan fave. I think the sucky part about this matchup is it feels like "Toni Storm's leftovers" as far as story goes. I haven't been following super closely though. I wish I could give Deonna the W because I think she deserves better as one of Impact's big stars. But they haven't really set up much and I'm fond of Rosa. Kind of wish Rosa had the world championship right now, ngl. I think Toni could finish her "Mariah May's heart on a pole match" without the belt.

Adam Copeland vs. Malakai Black, (4/5 hype)

Copeland, who DOESN'T want to see Malakai get beaten at his own game, out SPOOKED in a vampire way. Plus I too am hoping this loops back to Christian Cage old man yaoi (SUPERNATURAL STYLE!!!)

Roderick Strong vs. Will Ospreay (1/5 hype)

I know Ospreay is going over and I wish he wasn't here at all.

Trent Beretta vs. Orange Cassidy (4/5 hype)

Trent needs to poor little meow meow Orange SO hard. I wanna see his big eyes like o_O after. I would love Orange to start a new faction with Hook and Shibata. Sunglasses guys....

Bang Bang Gang vs. Death Triangle (5/5 hype)

I am SOOOO hype for this match. BBG for sure, it's too soon for them to lose the belts and they can definitely pull some shit to tip the scales in their favor. I won't be mad if it's Death Triangle though -- they deserve the world :) Favourite booking would be BBG win leading into a PAC vs. Jay big singles that Jay loses at the next PPV. That would be electric hehe.

Chris Jericho vs. Hook vs. Katsuyori Shibata (3/5 hype)

This would so be a 4/5 match if it weren't for the Jericho of it all. I wish I felt differently about the FTW belt tbh-- I'm just sort of booking Shibata to win cause he's my guy and re-belting Jericho or Hook feels boring. The problem is the FTW belt always felt like a "meme" belt to me. Ah well. Gold will look good on Shibs :)

Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita (4/5 hype)

Give my DDT ace a NJPW title shot Or Else <3

"Timeless" Toni Storm vs. Serena Deeb (1/5 hype)

Sorry to Toni who I like, but man, Deeb just rubs me the wrong way on vibes. I didn't really like her feud with Shida. This match just feels so perfunctory, especially after Toni beating Rosa. I don't want to see Deeb belted, and I've seen enough "Timeless" Toni Storm matches (which are fun!) to skip this one for Deeb's bad vibes.

Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Mone (4/5 hype)

I KNOW Mercedes is going over and I wouldn't be mad about it (she's amazing!!) but honest to god Willow deserves a longer, fuller run and it sucks that she's going to be a transitional champ. Sigh. At least it's on a PPV as a main event.

The Elite vs. "Team AEW" (5/5 Hype)

Anarchy in the arena matches are always soooooo fun. I actually don't care who wins this but I think it would be funny to make the Bucks eat shit. I am so ready to see Okada do a chaos deathmatch. I am excited to see Jack Perry on fire. This match will probably be the show-stealer for me, AEW is sooooo good at delivering these.

Swerve Strickland vs. Christian Cage (5/5 hype)

Swerve, c'mon. They're both gonna crush it though :3 I've loved the build for this face off. Should be a killer way to cap the night!

Enjoy, and happy PPV everyone!

[all-risejd]

After Shine Part 1 (Damian Priest x OC) (Eventual The Judgment Day x OC)

Danika

June 16, 2018 - Dallas, Texas

She’d been back from Japan maybe five days, and was riding the uplifting high of being close enough to California she swore she could smell her momma's cooking. Tonight was going to be amazing, she could feel it in her bones, she wasn’t exactly sure why Cage had sent her on the road with his talent, when a group of them decided to work Ring of Honor, but she’d spent the last year touring with some of the most irritating bastards she’d ever met (she sort of loved it though). The move to New York almost two summers ago, alone and in the big city, had been disarming. She swore looking back she’d spent most of the first two months crying herself to sleep.

Danny Cage had been a friend of her fathers, sort of, and he’d ‘taken her in’ out of respect for how famous her dad really was. He hadn’t actually known what to do with an almost eighteen-year old girl who wasn’t at all interested in the limelight of the ring. It’s how she became an Influencer, she supposed, they traveled constantly, so she started a blog, and back then she could make little short stories with some of Cage’s younger talent. There was one man, Martinez, that she tended to stick close to. He was large and big, and just this side of dangerous, but he’d saved her ass more than once in Japan - she’d never forget the night he punched some handsy Englishman for copping a feel of her, when she’d come to collect them from a bar. 

The thing about Martinez was he didn’t want her around, not really. But she was always underfoot. She wanted him to win, he had the power and the drive, and fuck the charisma once he got stared in the ring - he was damn hard not to look at. The thing was, he was mean. And more often than not she suffered for her attempts at helping him, but there were days (sometimes even two in a row) where he would talk with her in Spanish about his home, about his familia, about who he wanted to be, and in turn she told him stories of her familia, of being adopted by a huge Latino family, and how lucky she was. Then there were rushed mornings, where she was tossing women (sometimes multiple) out of his hotel room, and running around doing last minute checks to see if he had anything, before corralling the still intoxicated, angry bull of a man toward the taxi.

“Hey, kid, you're dad’s on the phone!” Cage shouted, and motioned to his cell phone - her’s was dead.

“Thanks, Mr. Cage.” She hurried to him, around the pool, side stepping the large man in question who was drinking before ten in the morning, stretched out over a lounger, he shot her a smile, which made her blush. “Papi?” She said into the phone, a grin pulling at her face as the familiar noise of home sounded behind her.

“Hola, Danika, we are going to come tonight to the matches, Dominik wants to see you.” She smiled warmly, Cage was just going to love hosting the Mysterio familia. “How was Japan?” She launched into telling him all about the customs and their version of wrestling, and how she’d met Chris Jericho, and boy was he protective of her, she talked about the fashion and all the gifts she’d brought back for them, but mostly she asked about her younger sister Lainey, who Dominik had been visiting with while she’d been out of the country (six months in Japan was longer than she’d anticipated). 

“We are actually going to bring her with us tonight.” Danika’s heart soared damn near out of her chest. “And Cage has agreed, you need a vacation, so while we have custody of Delainey and are waiting to figure out what’s going to happen with your mom, you're coming home tonight.” She couldn’t help but grin even wider, after they talked a bit more, and she got off the phone, she wandered back to the pool, settling onto the lounge next to Martinez.

“¿Qué te tiene tan feliz, pequeña?”

She shot Martinez a look, she knew he knew English, probably more than he let on, she responded in kind, “Mi familia is coming to the show tonight, and I’m going home for a while afterward.” The man lowered his sunglasses to look her over, he shot her a toothy grin, it both unsettled her and made her want to vibrate out of her skin, “I might even miss you.” She admitted, after a long moment. 

May 21, 2020

Danika Wesson moved through her bedroom technically cleaning up, she’d finished her weekly list of projects from AEW’s Talent Development and had set up social media accounts for several new talents under him as well as worked with them to do their first videos and pictures. She herself had spent the day doing an unboxing of new Mysterio gear for YouTube. She had to have the whole bedroom cleaned and in top shape for the weekend because she was getting a weekend visit with Lainey. Now, with a pregnancy test clutched in her hand she was pulling all the laundry into her arms and headed for the bathroom she shared with Dom and Aalyah. Her room was still covered in more Mysterio merchandise than she would like, but she’d get over it. 

Living with the Mysterio’s had been… an adjustment in her youth. Now she was just the third kid in the second floor of the house who did laundry because it was Dom’s job to clean the bathroom and Aalyah’s job to vacuum their floor. “Dominik!” She called over her shoulder, Aalyah was mercifully in her bedroom ignoring them. Dominik appeared in his doorway, basketball shorts and a comfortable looking gray short sleeve shirt. “Help?” She gave him a curious look, he glanced at the maybe seven articles of clothing she was holding with a raised eyebrow. “I need your help, Dominik, in the bathroom.”

“Oh.” She watched as his eyes widened a bit, a mischievous smile on his face like he thought they were going to mess around (they were not doing anything remotely sexy with either Aalyah or Angie in the house, she had rules), then he was following behind her. She let him open the door, in their teen years they had spent a lot of time being fussed at for being in the bathroom together, and with old habits dying hard, Dominik immediately locked the door behind him as she tossed the laundry into her purple hamper. “So no period then.” He cocked his head to the side, looking down at Danika, who hadn’t really thought much about their height difference until recently. 

She cut her eyes at him, “Wow, Captain Obvious. Glad to see you have made it to the party.” She rolled her eyes, and stepped closer to him, “Do you really think I would risk moms wrath by sharing the bathroom with you otherwise.” She pinched his chest, above his left nipple, another holdover from their youth when they pushed boundaries of friendship often too far. Or at least Angie, their shared mother, had thought they were pushing boundaries back then, relatively speaking things had been pretty tame. Sharing food, Dominik reading to her while she was taking a bubble bath, tickling and shoving at each other, once they handcuffed themselves to each other, and there was a whole summer they spent reenacting scenes from Jackass.

Dominik snickered, “You could have just agreed. A nice yeah Dominik you're right I didn’t have my period this month would have been fine.” He had morphed his voice into something resembling a girl but it sounded more hilarious than accurate. 

“I don’t sound like that.” She huffed but grinned at him nonetheless, “And it’s been two months.”

“Well that’s a bit more serious than I thought.” He moved to sit on the sink, another thing Angie would have their asses for, sinks and counters were not made for butts. “Are you sure it’s not what happened when we were younger?” His voice was a bit worried now, “You went like five months without a period then had like… cyst or something.” Bless his heart, he was trying. 

She gave him an appraising look, “I mean I guess it could be but Dr. Keyes removed my right ovary and all that jazz.” She shrugged. “I have a test, figure we might as well do this now.” She brandished the test at him only for him to yank it out of her hand, he immediately tore into the box and started reading the instructions. Never let it be said Dominik didn’t love to know everything. “You gonna share with the class?” She pointed at the directions. 

“You just pee on the stick.” He shoved it back at her, “Once you do that, we just wait two minutes.”

She took the pregnancy test and narrowed her eyes at him. “I know we fucked multiple times but I dunno if I want you to hear me pee…” There was a bit of desperation edging into her voice. 

Dominik laughed, hard. “I can pee in the tub while you pee on the stick. We can pee together.”

“I hate you.” She snickered, “By all means pee in the tub, heathen.” She waited for Dominik to climb off the sink and slowly walk around her to head for the tub, he wrenched the shower open just as she pushed her yoga pants and underwear down. “How do you even…” She trailed off as she figured out how to hold the stick and not pee on her hand. Settling down over the toilet, pointedly facing away from Dom and the tub, she cleared her throat, “Together or whatever.”

It was weird. She was so relieved to drop the test in the sink and clean herself off, she closed tre toilet and sat on it, before pulling the test back into her hands, and folding her hands around it, protecting it from view, while Dom moved back to sit on the sink, his shorts back in place. “Two minutes.” He set the timer as he kicked his legs out looking like a much younger boy than the 23 year old man he was. 

“Two minutes.” She agreed, “So did you talk to Megan? Are you two gonna patch things up?”

“Negative ghost rider.” Dominik offered as he looked up toward the ceiling, “She uh, well she didn’t like me being on the road and she hated our friendship. Like how am I supposed to explain that my parents adopted you but you aren’t my sister when Aalyah introduces you as our sister to everyone.”

“Tough break, boo.” She offered almost sweetly. Megan and Dom had been on and off since they were in tenth grade. Danika was honestly happy to see her gone, not because she wanted to be Dominik’s girlfriend but because Megan had a tendency to make Dominik’s life hell. In fact Danika had only just managed to talk him out of marrying the monster the previous Christmas. 

“You get all your work done?” Dominik asked not so subtly to change the subject.

She let him have it, “You mean the unboxing for Rey and the stuff for AEW? Yeah. I got it finished.” She let out a long sigh, “I think Cody has more talent he wants me to fly out and meet.” She admitted, “So I can finish setting up the accounts and can finish getting everyone started on their socials, plus Cody wants me to do a series of soundbites for him.”

Dominik hummed, “You should have finished going to school for filmography.”

“Shoulda, woulda, coulda.” She hummed, impatiently, “How much longer?”

“Like a whole ‘nother minute.” Dominik turned his attention back to her, “Do you want kids?”

“That’s an odd question, considering we are sort of on a knife blade here.” Danika huffed, “I mean, yeah, I like the idea of kids, I don’t want kids that… I don’t want kids with someone who I’m not sure is going to be around, I don’t want a repeat of my childhood.”

Dominik was silent after that, contemplating what she had said, she would bet. He had wanted to be a dad since literally the third grade. His phone alarm went off, announcing they could look at the test, Danika didn’t move, her whole body was frozen, it felt like moving was impossible. Dominik, thankfully, grabbed the test from her folded hands. “Oh.” He whispered, before he climbed off the counter, and knelt in front of her, “Danika, am I someone who you think is always going to be around?”

She jerked the test out of his grasp and looked down, two pink lines. “Oh.” She let out a little giggle, “Well, Dominik, I think I made another one of your dreams come true.”

Dominik was silent again, “We don’t have to do this.” He cupped her face, “I want you to be happy too, we both know I’ve wanted kids since I was like seven, but…” He trailed off, “If you aren’t ready for this, then I’m not ready for this.” He assured her.

Before she could answer there was a harsh pounding on the door, “I have to pee!” Aalyah shouted.

“GO DOWNSTAIRS!” Dominik and Danika both screamed back at her.

“OH MY GOD, MOM, DOM AND DANI ARE IN THE BATHROOM TOGETHER!” 

“Dios, she gets older but does she get any more mature?” Danika hissed, but leaned into Dominik’s hands, “I want to have children with you, I’ll give you all the babies you want, I know we aren’t in love like that, but I do love you, unconditionally and forever. I know you won’t-”

“MOM!” Aalyah shouted, followed by, “MAMI!” 

“Dios.” Dominik grabbed the test and shoved it into his basketball shorts pocket, he hauled Danika to her feet, unlocked the bathroom door, and yanked it open to glare down at Aalyah, “Being the bratty little sister should end at eighteen.” He snapped, “We are both over eighteen, and can be in the bathroom alone or together if we wa-”

Angie had climbed to the second floor, and was looking between the three of them, “¿Qué son todos los gritos?”

“They were in the bathroom together, again, with the door locked.” Aalyah looked positively excited to say it aloud, Danika rolled her eyes violently from where she was hiding behind Dominik.

“Mom,” Dominik sighed, “I was helping Danika with something, yes it was in the bathroom, yes the door was locked, her belly ring got messed up, she lost the ball and we had to change it.” He offered unamused. “Now, if you could just move-'' He made to push around Aalyah, who pushed back, the jostling dislodged the pregnancy test which he hadn’t put into his pocket properly. 

Danika wanted to scream, she reached for the test at the same time Aalyah did, the younger girl snatching it out of her grasp, “OH MY GOD, YOU'RE PREGNANT!”

“Can we stop screaming?” Danika snapped, she grabbed the test and pulled it back.

Angie was talking in spanish far to fast for her to keep up with, but she caught the jist of it - Angie was bemoaning the fact that she’d let Rey talk her into adopting a street kid from the wrong side of San Diego, with a dash of the shame that Danika would bring to their name (although she largely used the Wesson last name publically, legally she had been adopted by the Mysterios, making her legal last name Gutiérrez). 

Dominik glared at Aalyah then looked directly at his mom, “Detener. Danika está embarazada de mi hijo.”

Angie looked for a moment like she’d been slapped, “You're child?” She clutched at her heart, “What?”

Dominik and Danika shared a look, with Danika shrugging her shoulders, Dominik had opened this can of worms so he could close it. “When Megan and I broke up I was heartbroken, Danika and I might have drank that bottle of tequila we told you we didn’t drink.” Her eyes widened, “And we uh, well…” He looked at Danika for support, she instead sent Jefe a text message, Rey would be home within the next few minutes, and she could tell this was going to be a fight the level of a Latino telenovela if the man didn’t come sooth his wife, quickly. “Look, before that we’d never had sex, and we’ve sort of messed around since then, but-”

“Eres hermano y hermana.” Angie looked close to tears.

“Legally, yes.” Danika agreed, “Biologically, no. We’ve tried to explain this to you multiple times. We don’t see each other as siblings, yes both of us look at Aalyah like our little sister, but Mom, we are best friends.”

Angie shook her head, “Tendrás que casarte ahora.” 

The front door opened and closed, downstairs, the alarm system pinged to let them know. “We are not getting married.” Dominik countered, irritated. “It’s not happening, we aren’t in love.” Dominik snapped, his voice going hard, “We are never going to get married.”

“Hey, now, we have an agreement about your fortieth birthday.” Danika wiggled her eyebrows at him, “If you haven’t gotten married by the time you're forty and I’m thirty-eight we will get married.”

Rey snickered as he joined them, “I remember this agreement, you two signed it in crayons.” 

Dominik looked between his father and Danika, “Ok, well, we aren’t getting married right now.”

“Why would you get married, mi hijo?” Rey looked perplexed.

Seriously, it was a wonder to Danika that they didn’t have a WWE themed reality television show. 

Aalyah chose that moment to cackle, “Because Dominik got her pregnant.”

There was a long stretch of Rey’s eyes darting between Dominik and Danika, with Angie sniffling to herself, and Aalyah pitched forward in a way that suggested she wished she had popcorn. Finally Rey cleared his throat, “What are we doing about this?”

“We hadn’t decided yet.” Dominik cleared his throat, “We were talking about our options and what we wanted to do when Aalyah started being her usual bratty self, and caused this whole argument.” Dominik explained, exasperated. 

Rey hummed, “Danika, cariño, what do you want to do?” 

“Jefe, I would like Dominik and I to talk about it privately, once we have a decision we will let you all know.” She cast her glance to Aalyah, “That’s my shirt, asshole, give it back.” 

“You’ll be too fat to wear it.” Aalyah sang as she walked back to her room.

“I thought you had to go to the bathroom!” Dominik snapped after her.

Aalyah cackled, “I never had to pee, I just heard you two talking in the bathroom and knew the door would be locked.” 

“Oh, you little-” Danika made to give chase, but Dominik caught her around her middle.

“Not so fast,” He tutted, “You're carrying my child, and I don’t want the little bean to inherit whatever ridiculous gene it is that makes you and Aalyah act like children all the time.”

“That’s rich.” Rey huffed, “You usually start their little fights.” Rey looked pointedly at Dominik, then at Angie, “We will support their choice, mi esposa, let them make it.” He took her arm and started to steer her down the stairs, “I will say, if you are going to give us grandchildren, at least let us do something Catholic for their birth.” With that Rey headed them down the stairs.

Danika growled under her breath, “Come on.” She tugged him back into the bathroom, and locked the door. She reclaimed her seat on the toilet, and motioned for him to kneel before her again, “Alright, take two.” 

He snickered, “Danika Wesson Gutiérrez, my best friend, my soulmate, my hero, and my ride or die, would you do me the honor of having my baby?”

She burst out laughing, unable to hold it in, she laughed until she felt the tears start on her cheeks, “If you ever propose to anyone let me write the script for you, boo.” She giggled, “Alright, let’s do this, we’ve always been good together, you are my knight in shining armor, I mean you did ride across San Diego to the scary part of town to rescue me, and you punched that guy in ninth grade who told me I couldn’t be a Gutiérrez because I wasn’t Mexican, and you-” 

He cut her off with a chaste kiss, just a press of their lips together, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” She nodded her head, their noses bumping, “Dominik, I’d be no one without you, I’ve always wanted to have kids, and if I were going to accidentally get pregnant, I am so glad it’s with you. Cause come hell or high water, as Uncle Adam says, we are always going to have each other's backs.” She nuzzled his nose, “Now aren’t you meant to be packing for SmackDown?”

He rolled his eyes, but stood, ruffling her red hair as he went. The both spilled back out of the bathroom, pushing at each other and laughing, until Dominik veered off into his room, no doubt to actually pack up for his and Rey’s upcoming flight. She headed back to her room, and gazed around the piles of Mysterio merchandise. Her life with the Mysterio’s might be a rollercoaster, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. She ran her hand over her flat stomach, mostly to reassure herself that there was a little baby growing in there. 

Dominik had promised her adventures, when he came to rescue her on his bike when they were eleven and thirteen (with Dominik being the older one), and he’d yet to disappoint. 

[bang-bang-gang]

Can you elaborate on the backstage drama around the tag belts? 🍵

sure! this is all baseless speculation to be clear

also biased as hell because i don't like FTR or jericho as performers. this answer turned into quite a rant, sorry. if i got any facts wrong i'm happy to be corrected. not coming after anyone who's an FTR or jericho fan, you do you

but, based on what i, as a fan, can see with my eyes on the screen:

FTR fought aussie open at wrestledream and mark davis injured his wrist. i think it's possible aussie open was meant to win this match but an audible was called, based on the next thing.

same ppv, there was a fourway tag match for a guaranteed title shot for the tag belts, between the bucks, ass boys, lucha bros, and hook&oc. the bucks won this. i think the bucks would have made a GREAT first feud for aussie open as new tag champs to reaaally establish themselves: in the past year everyone's been saying FTR and the bucks are the greatest tag teams in the world, it would have been AMAZING for the new tag champs to beat both of them in a short time period.

but FTR took the belts home and mark davis disappeared while for a couple of weeks, kyle fletcher was constantly put in singles matches on both AEW and ROH. i know fan consensus seems to be he has been lost to the don callis hole but i think we need to be patient lmao: he was fighting bryan danielson, kenny omega, and takeshita all in singles not too long ago.

the bucks didn't mention their guaranteed tag title shot at all. At. All. they actually also had the ROH 6-man belts (which is what i think confirms that they were never meant to win the AEW tag belts back with said title shot) and had one match against the hardys & isiah kassidy with it and then lost it to the guys they won it off in the first place. absolute mess of a booking.

jericho and kenny started teaming up because.. they're both canadians? both have beef with don callis? this storyline depresses me so i won't pretend to know what happened exactly. but at the last ppv they had a match against the bucks where they could win their guaranteed title shot off the bucks or they had to disband. jericho and kenny won.

in the meantime, FTR have dropped their tag belts. word is that FTR aggravated assault has a rib injury but they've been wrestling pretty quick again since so i don't know if that was the reason for them to drop it. they dropped it by being squashed by ricky starks and big bill (absolute bill). absolute bill is a makeshift tag team who, in their own words, had never even talked to each other since a few weeks before they won these belts. literally the only matches they've had so far (despite ricky being on tv every single week for other things) were a match against claudiyoots (WHO SHOULD HAVE WON) and a fourway ladder match at the most recent ppv because (according to dirtsheets) none of the other teams wanted to be pinned by absolute bill lmao

so what i extrapolate from all this information is the following:

aussie open was meant to be tag champs by wrestledream

young bucks were supposed to be their first feud hence the tag title shot they got

thanks to injuries FTR ended up dropping the belts to absolute bill

young bucks did not want to lose to absolute bill so they are not using their tag title shot

(nobody wants to lose to absolute bill except for wheeler yuta apparently)

chris jericho got his claws into kenny omega and his greasy hands on the title shit because he doesn't mind losing to absolute bill. or hell maybe the "golden jets" (kenny and jericho's tag team name, referencing a nazi sympathizer) will be the next tag champs

i don't know how long mark davis' injury is expected to last. i think that if the "golden jets" got the belts and kept them warm for aussie open it could pivot into a cool storyline, especially if will ospreay joins AEW around the same time. or fucking hell maybe jericho could betray kenny and kenny teams up with ibushi again and the golden lovers actually win the belts, that'd be more fun. the bucks are missing in action since last ppv and the dirtsheet report is they're going to return as heels with their own faction, and heel!bucks could take the belts off kenny & jericho too, though i'm not really excited about that idea.

just to reiterate, this is just speculation based on what's happening on screen and i'm making theories about what's happening backstage for why the booking is so messy.

most of all i think the following is a good tldr

[kamari2038]

Scenario 004 - A Machine Connor Saga (Pt.15)(Full Saga)

What's more important to you? Your investigation, or the life of this android? Decide who you are. An obedient machine, or a living being endowed with free will.

I wasn’t surprised when he didn’t want to help us, but I found him to be even more infuriating than I imagined. He was excessively melodramatic, insisted on acting cryptic whilst somehow not even bothering to hide that he’s directly responsible for the epidemic. He’d formulated some kind of appraisal or trap for me, asked me to destroy one of his many ST200 models in exchange for information. The main reason I shot her was to piss him off, but I somewhat regret it… he had a few extra didn’t he? Did he keep backups of their memories, too? Maybe she would prefer not to remember this particular incident when she comes back. He thought he could gamble with the life of his only friend, and he lost the bet. I think that ST200 may have been special, the original. I hope that he gets his due when he inevitably brings her back. 

Kamski says he’s a man of his word, but he only allowed me to ask one question. Thankfully, I’ve been following the news, and I knew what I needed: the location of the deviant stronghold, Jericho. This investigation will be out of my hands soon, but I won’t let it fall there. I am the only one who can stop us. All I need is a location and a loaded gun. I’ll kill off his prize, his revolutionary machine, before it reigns destruction on us all. 

Hank was furious. I don’t know if he wants to work together anymore. I don’t think that his heart is in the mission. He seemed impressed by Markus’ act of sparing Chris, but I knew better. He shot Evan Thompson without a moment’s thought. He only spared Chris because it suited his agenda, and he knew it. Kamski didn’t just engineer the deviants to subjugate the humans, but to trick them into believing that they had a noble cause, to make it all the easier. It was all a fraud. He really was brilliant, as much as I loathed him for it. Spouting this nonsense about empathy as though he had any doubts about what I was, making it out as though he felt bad for my predicament, as though he hadn’t been personally responsible for it. He didn’t even deny knowing about Jericho, which he most certainly founded.

[deepdisireslonging]

Choices Chapter 2: Like a Shot

Ricky takes Esther back to her apartment. On their way out, they are attacked by a rival gang.

Warnings/Promises: gang-typical violence, food mention, fluffy-flirty Ricky

Word Count: 4800

Chapter 1: Valentine's Day

Friday, February 15, 1929

Bridgeport Township

When Esther came down the stairs the next morning, Starks was waiting for her with a cup of coffee and a map.

“Is it… spiked or-” Esther nodded at the cup.

With a smile, he handed it over. “Just plain coffee. I promise. Milk and sugar are in the kitchen, along with breakfast.” He popped open the breezeway so they could cross to the other side of the house.

When they reached the kitchen, Esther recognized the small space from her brief entrance the day before. In the hustle and bustle of moving her in, she’d missed its quaint details. Mrs. Anne sat at the small table against the door-side wall, darning some socks while Mr. Jim peeled potatoes. She pointed out the sugar on the far counter, and Starks grabbed the milk bottle from the ice box next to the back door. The stove in the corner easily radiated heat through the room. It was very welcome with how damp and drizzly it was outside. And, from the kitchen’s position behind Wardlow’s office, the oven probably seeped warmth into the wall right behind his desk. The large table island in the middle of the room was prepped with platters of toast, eggs, bacon (which Esther politely avoided), and a small plate with a pat of butter.

It was then, with the soft scrape of Mr. Jim’s knife, and the clink of plates and utensils, that Esther noticed how quiet the rest of the house was. “Most of the guys headed out early to prepare for the Bull Session,” Starks noted. “Any other morning, it would still be this quiet for anybody recovering from a late night. Or a busted head.”

Mrs. Anne tsked, flicking her eyes from Starks to Esther to point out the woman’s alarm.

“Ah. A busted head is just a hangover.” He laughed nervously, dipping his head in apology to the housekeeper. “Nothing too violent.”

“Oh,” Esther breathed in a sigh of relief. But she also observed how Ricky’s eye had not improved. It was still swollen and red around the lid and underneath. The purple bits from last night had settled deep into his skin. It looked painful. Her staring was interrupted by his placing the map on the counter.

A pigeon’s-eye view of Chicago’s city plan was outlined into regions. Names were labeled within each square. Some areas were clear of writing. Esther assumed they were neutral territories. Especially considering one of them contained the police station. Perhaps. Or maybe they were areas of flux as the crews acquired and lost ground. Stars on the map marked ‘businesses.’

Starks pointed at the square encompassing the townhouse just south of the city’s center. And then to Howls former locations. “We’re obviously here. But, as you can see, we have neighbors with conflicting interests. On the lakeside: Kenny Omega and The Father’s House. Everybody calls it Feathers. It’s a church front with a casino in the basement fellowship hall. He’s our biggest customer for hooch to keep his patrons spending.”

“Why feathers?”

“Some kind of angel pun, I think. That’s from before I joined the racket up here. Up here by the tracks on our northside is Chris Jericho and Jazzies. He’s got guys in the police force, so his casino is almost never raided. And definitely never shut down. We hire musicians from Jericho’s music shop front. Not often. But it keeps him happy.” He let the information settle. “Now, to keep you happy. Where am I taking you today?”

Esther looked over the map before pointing. “Here.”

His eyebrows arched. “You live in Jade territory?”

“I didn’t care who owned the block. Most people don’t. All that matters is that the rent is cheap, and it’s mostly quiet.” She frowned. “I thought Jade worked for Taz?”

“Yeah, but she came in with some land she won for herself as a display of her skills.” He shrugged. “We should probably go, but I can’t leave this around. How quick can you memorize it? Don’t worry about the exact dimensions and street names; the borders change too often. And you’ll get the gist of territories as you’re present for business meetings.”

With one last long look, feeling the Torrios’s interest on her back, Esther soaked up the information on the map. There were a few overlapping areas she wanted to ask about. But she knew Starks or Wardlow could fill her in later. Her apartment building looked so far away on the map. But it had only taken minutes to drive yesterday. She looked over the streets closely to make up for the blur of turns that she’d missed during her escape and then during the move. “Alright, I think I’ve got it.”

The oven door creaked as Starks opened it, washing the room in a swell of heat from the rabid flames inside. With the rush of air, he had to force the map into the opening so it would catch. One corner ignited. Then the miniature flame ate its way to the other side. He kept watch until the page was ashes before closing the door.

“Now we just have to borrow one of the cars and get moving.” He shared a nod with Mrs. Anne, who retrieved their coats from the hooks in the hall.

“One of the cars? It’s not that far of a walk. We could-“

He chuckled. “It’s cold out, Doll. Why shuffle through the snow and rain when you could travel in style?” He was amused by her agreeing smile. “Welcome to the Wardlow way of business.”

The car in question was sleek in design. But complicated to start. One of Ford’s Model A’s, as Starks identified, it still started with a crankshaft in the front grill. Starks insisted Esther sit in the front passenger seat during the process. After many a grunt, and a few curses under breath, the motor purred to life and off they went.

To cover up for his earlier struggle, he had no shortage of questions. Esther shared how her family had always lived on the outskirts of the city, out in River Forest. Her father’s bakery out there did well. But his back was broken in a driving accident; he had been crossing the street when a speeding car came careening around a corner. He couldn’t knead the tougher doughs, but her mother and brothers helped out. She was the first to move into the city center when seeking her fortune. And Starks shared how he was the first from his family to leave the state of Louisiana. But he deflected around the reasons for his move. Something about a job. Esther didn’t press.

The conversation eventually came to a lull. Starks hummed, then began to guide the car to the curb.

“Is everything alright?” Esther had been watching him adjust levers and press the different pedals, but it was a lot different from the old van she had sometimes driven for the corner grocer. This would be nothing like those deliveries.

“Wanna take the wheel for a bit?”

“Oh, no. I’ll have a lesson about-” she waved her hand over the dash, “all of this when the roads aren’t so slick.” She breathed a sigh of relief when he guided the car back into the minimal traffic. Because of the weather, there weren’t as many booths out by the street. Mostly ones selling something hot to eat or drink while the rest of the businesses kept their wares inside. Passerbys huddled against the cold and moved quickly as they dared over the icy sidewalks and slippery streets. Esther was glad for the car. “I have to admit, I kinda like being driven around. Thanks for bein’ my chauffeur.”

Starks tipped his hat, making her laugh. “My pleasure, miss.”

As they crossed the invisible threshold into Jade territory, Starks slowed their carefree clip down to a casual cruise. The speed blended in with the calm bustle of pushcarts and older cars. Also, his conversation was loose, distracted, while he kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. The buildings, slowly dipping from brick-built to brick-faced, and barely managed to decrepit, crawled by Esther’s window. When Cargill took over, she had initiated several projects to strengthen the community, usually meaning a bustle of builders. To Esther, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. If anything, it was quiet. Probably too cold out for the work teams. Mentioning this made Ricky’s grip on the steering wheel tighter.

Esther’s friend was just walking up to the front door of the building when Starks brought the car to a stop. The mere sight of the blonde, who embodied the flapper trends when she could, made her heart leap. She didn’t wait for him to open her door. She was out like a shot with a squeal mirrored by her friend, Mary.

“I saw all those men yesterday but didn’t see you. Heard about the raid, and then the shooting at Bill’s and thought the worst. But here you are!”

“Oh, there was a lot of… Yes. Everything worked out. I’m alright. And! I got a new position that came with a new place. But in all the rush, I forgot a few things. You don’t still happen to have my mother’s scarf, do you? I couldn’t find it last night and I-”

Mary beamed and laced her arm with Esther’s. “Yes, I do. It was perfect for my date last week.” They shared a giggle. “Didn’t work out more than for a free meal, but come on up while I find it and tell me about your new job.” She eyed the man at Esther’s side. “Is this your new boss? Are you a boxer, Mister-?”

“Starks.” He took her outstretched hand and lightly kissed her knuckles. “Ricky Starks. And no, to both questions. We have the same boss, and I’m… clumsy.” He lightly touched his eye. When she laced her other arm in his, he gladly let her take the lead.

“I’ve got a cousin that lives up in New York,” Mary said, leading them up the stairs. “When her mother was doing poorly, she came home for a while and taught us girls some exercise from London, and how to punch like she learned in the Bronx.” She shadowboxed outside her door. “Maybe Esther can show you a few pointers. I taught her everything my cousin showed me.”

They shared a laugh. Mary’s room was across the landing from Esther’s. It made for easy check-ins, mutual sewing assistance, shared meals, and the best moments of developing city sisters.

“Would either of you like some tea?” Mary swept from one side of her living space to the other in her quick way. “I’m going to make me a cup.”

Esther almost shed a tear with the realization of how much she would miss her friend’s daily hustle. “I’m alright, dear. Though Mr. Starks might need some. It wasn’t as warm in the car as he thought it would be.” To emphasize her point, he held up his hands and dramatically tried to unbend his half-frozen fingers. It made the women laugh; Mary uproariously, in her way. “In that case, we should hurry. You haven’t moved your sugar, have you?”

Their easy dance in the small corner kitchen, no more than a stove with a pair of burners on the top and a small counter, caught Starks in wonder. Mary rushed between the stove top and the cabinet of cups over the sink to one side while Esther handed her things. He likened it to watching fireflies in Louisiana; lightning up in as many corners of a grove as possible. Esther moved like… the only thing he could think of was the way sugar poured smoothly into a cup of something warm. Such a cup was placed in his hands while he did his best to keep up with Mary’s ceaseless conversation.

“So, where’s this new secretary- stenographer job?”

Esther sat by Starks on the low couch while Mary took the chair. “It’s downtown a bit. Comes with an apartment and everything! Maybe you could visit- oh. Maybe not. The boss is… a little shy.”

Starks caught her disappointment. He flashed a smile. “We have parties sometimes. And we never turn a pretty face away from the door.”

While her friend flushed, Esther breathed with wondering what sorts of parties could be held at the townhome. If they could actually be held at all, or if Starks was just being kind. She used the breath to blow steam off her tea. “I hope this one lasts for a while. It’ll be nice to have something steady. How’s my spot at the corner grocer’s?”

“He’s so sweet.” Mary swirled the spoon in her tea. “His younger son is even nicer, though not around often. He took over the deliveries since Joshua left for school. Delivers on foot, and in the Harrigan’s car. Did you know the van finally gave up the ghost? And you remember the Harrigans, right? Got that little tot who’s got great aim for kicking people in the shins. That’s them. And Mr. Brazer, that’s my boss, Mr. Starks, he’s so easy-going. Won’t let me lift more than a bag of apples if he can help it, the dear. I’ve already started to memorize the common customers. Which one’s like what kinds of lettuce, if we ever get any. Which ones keep asking for oranges. And which ones I have ta’ keep an eye on their kids. One lady- did you ever meet Mrs. Folle? Has a little girl who knocks over my carrots, I swear, every time they come in. Little carrot-top’s got a thing for watching them go everywhere, I guess. So, what all will you be secretary-ing?”

Starks passed a hand over his eyes. How did Esther ever keep up with this girl?

“I have to admit, I’m a little fuzzy on the details. But as far as I can tell, I’m going to be taking notes during meetings. That way the boss or any of his associates can read over them and keep updated. I’m assuming anyways; I haven’t actually started yet.” When she glanced at Ricky for help, he stammered out some half-baked story about how Wardlow was blessed with a strong income, and Esther’s work would help him dish the charity back into the city.

“That won’t be so bad. And you’ll be out of the cold. I get frozen every time someone opens the front door. You’ll be working days instead of nights like you used to, I’m sure. I’m so happy for you!” She reached over and lightly swatted Esther’s knee. “It’s exciting. A fresh start. And hopefully quieter than your last two places. Wolves… or Howls; whatever it was called.”

As Mary continued to chat, Esther and Starks shared a look. Nothing about this job was quiet, and they both knew it.

“Let me get that scarf, before I forget.” Mary finished her tea with a flourish. Spinning out of her seat, she hurried from her boudoir to her closet, to the box of hats and things under her bed. It ended up being in the first drawer of the boudoir, passed over in her haste. Esther began cleaning up the cups and saucers. When everything was put away, her friend was suddenly soft-spoken.

Mary handed over the scarf, letting her hand linger over Esther’s. “Hey, don’t forget me while you’re living in the heart of downtown and surrounded by all that elegance. Okay?”

“I could never. When my days off roll around, I’ll write. Who else could I get into mischief with?”

Ricky slid his hand into the crook of Esther’s arm. “Maybe we can all go out dancing. Dance the night away and not come back till dawn!” He winked at Mary. “I’m sure I can find another coworker who can lead you in a quick Charleston if you’d like.”

“Whew, any time!”

They shared a giggle and a hug before Esther and Starks went back to the car.

Outside, Ricky nodded. “Nice girl. Friendly.” He caught Esther’s eye. “But she’s a wild two-step, that one. I’m glad you’re more of a small, sweet cup of coffee.”

With a confused smile, Esther wrapped her mother’s scarf around her neck. “Odd compliment, but I’ll take it.”

He was just taking her hand to give it a squeeze when Esther was distracted by movement over his shoulder. The street was oddly empty. Except for a car accelerating towards the building. Ricky spun to face it as the motor’s roar reached him.

“Get inside.” He shoved her towards the steps. “Does it lock?”

Esther pulled on the handle. “It already is.”

Starks grit his teeth with a grunt. “Get into the alley. Hide behind anything sturdy that you can find and keep your head down. Don’t come out again until it’s quiet.” He watched as she ran and hid, then rushed to the back of the car. The button inside the trunk popped open the hidden shelf, revealing a machine gun. With only moments until the car would be in range to fire at him, he ducked behind the sidewalk-side tire.

Bullets riddled the street-side of the car. Glass broke into the seats, and more broke in the building’s first floor. Starks aimed over the hood, making the attacking bullets pause. But his gun jammed. With a curse, he dropped down to his knees. The bullets continued to fly as the car’s tires squealed and he dug around in his pockets. By the time he found his revolver, two men had jumped out. One kicked the gun out of Stark’s hand. A short fight broke out.

Despite it technically not being quiet yet, Esther risked a peek. One of the men was tall as a giant, broad shouldered, and with well-combed blond hair. He grabbed Ricky by the scruff of his neck to pull him to his feet, then pinned his arms behind him. The second, shorter and younger with dark hair, blew on his knuckles. With a grin, he landed a solid punch to Stark’s stomach. Esther almost cried out to see him double over, again and again, as the assault continued. A third man, with a lion’s mane of long blond hair, gave a whistle from his position in the car. He waved his hat before putting it back on his head. The long feather stuck into the band caught on the door.

To Esther’s horror, the two assailants dragged Ricky to their vehicle. It was still sputtering and chugging, ready to go whenever the feather-hat leader knew they were good. Stark’s limbs made one last effort to prevent the inevitable. The young man shoved them in one by one and shouted something. They sped off, creating a tidal wave in the muddy slush on the road.

Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest.

Nobody had screamed when the first-floor windows broke. But she knew the neighborhood would be buzzing soon enough.

Rushing to the sidewalk, Esther gave one hard look at the car. It was in rough shape. Not like she could operate it anyway. She took a second to orient herself. Then broke off into a sprint. She kept that morning’s map in her mind. Which blocks to turn at. Which ones to avoid, just in case.

The cold didn’t matter. Her running created a heat that kept her going. When she finally arrived at the townhome, she was sweating.

Wardlow had just arrived back with some of the men. “Esther! What’s wrong?” He caught her as her lungs gave out. “Catch your breath. There you go. What’s happened? Where’s Ricky?”

“Taken.” She swallowed a mouthful of air. “Three guys. Young guy. Tall and blond. And their leader with long blond hair.” She motioned a line beside her head. “Long feather in his hat.”

At Wardlow’s side, Spears and Joe hissed. Spears punctuated it with an extra growl. “Jericho. Bastard probably wanted to know what Starks overheard.”

Joe kneeled next to Esther. “The young guy. Dark hair?” When she nodded, he winced. “Whose side is Guevarra on? Just last month he had switched back to Friedman’s crew.”

“We can’t riddle that out right now.” Wardlow passed her shivering body to Joe. “Spears, behind the wheel. Sorry, boys, the day’s not done yet. Martin, check the hatches. Are we loaded? Good. I’m joining you on the hunt.” He turned back to the pair, brushing a sweaty lock off Esther’s forehead. “Honey, you’re gonna be alright. And so is Starks. You did good. Joe, get her inside to Anne before she catches cold. And watch the house for further backlash. This shouldn’t take long.”

The car was already speeding off before Wardlow’s door shut. The rushed growl of it raised Esther.

“The car! It’s back at the apartment. ‘Couldn’t drive it so I ran and…”

Joe hushed her, carrying her into the house. “It’s alright. We’ll send somebody for it.”

“It’s all shot up-“

“We’ll handle that too. Mrs. Anne, some hot water and some assistance, please.”

While the housekeeper and Joe hurried around to dote on Esther, she fought to remember every detail of the kidnapping. It somehow felt worse than if they’d just shot him in front of her. And now Wardlow was out there. Everyone was in danger.

“Hand that to me, dear. That’s it.” Mrs. Anne gently untangled the scarf from around Esther’s neck. “I’ll put it in your room.”

She could have tossed it into the fire for all Esther cared. In her mind, this was all her fault.

Joe watched the guilt rise on her face. “Listen to me. Nothing of this is because of you. It’s the game. It’s a rough game, and not every side plays fair. We’ll get ‘em. One way or another.” He patted her shoulder. When she mentioned the building windows he tutted. “Cargill will cover them. We’ll send someone around to check. If she doesn’t handle it, we’ll replace them. Don’t worry yourself anymore and get some rest.”

But she couldn’t. She refused to leave the front parlor, even when Joe tried to get her away from the windows. “They won’t come here,” she breathed. “They got what they wanted.”

It was the longest two hours of her life. Ares never left her side. He rested his snout over her shoes, only moving when Mrs. Anne covered her up with a blanket. Then he placed his head in her lap, calmly watching her while she petted his fur. In that time, her heart rate slowed down to a hesitant patter. Outside, it began to snow.

Mrs. Anne was just bringing another cup of tea when Joe burst into the room. “They brought him to the back door. He’s alive-”

She was off like a shot. When she arrived at the kitchen, Starks was lying across the center table. The sight stopped Esther in her tracks. His eyes weren’t open. His breathing was ragged. And, where his shirt had been cut open to survey the damage, his ribs were already spotting with deep purple and black bruises. His face didn’t appear to have any more damage to it besides a busted lip. Mr. Jim was holding up his left arm, observing a cut along his forearm.

“They threw him in the rubbish outside?” When he received confirmation, he nodded. “Nothing malicious as the rest of him. Just a cut from a bottle. Pass me the bandages.”

Spears noticed Esther first, and more from Joe’s entrance than her sudden appearance. He leaned down to Stark’s ear. “Look alive. Miss Garnier’s here.”

With a stunted groan, Starks opened his eyes. “Hey, mon cher. I’m glad you’re alright.”

She took half steps towards the table. “And I’m glad you’re mostly in one piece.”

Mr. Jim prodded at some of Stark’s ribs, making him shout. “Have to check to see if they’re broken. Hang tight.”

Esther offered her hand for him to do just that. He did his best not to break her fingers.

Finally, Mr. Jim nodded. “You’re one lucky sonava- ‘scuse me, Miss Garnier. He’s always been the luckiest man I’ve ever met. And tonight’s no different. Now where’s the rest of those bandages?”

The expression on Esther’s face didn’t agree with Mr. Jim’s observations. To her, Starks looked half-dead. To his detriment, that’s how he felt, but he slapped on a smile for her sake.

“Been in tougher scrapes than this, Doll.” He grinned, then winced as a bandage was wrapped around his forearm. “Might take me a minute to think of one, but I’ll get there.” When Esther managed to smile back, he gave her hand two weak but reassuring squeezes. They held the moment in silence as the kitchen bustled around them.

Wardlow eventually stepped close. Gently, he broke their hands apart. “We should really get you to a bed. Everyone ready to move?”

Starks was asleep before they were halfway up the stairs.

\\*//

Esther sat up with him most of the night. She saw to his bandages and kept a cool compress on his forehead to prevent fever. At first, Mrs. Anne had protested. In her opinion, someone needed to be sitting up with her too. But Esther persisted.

All night, she thought about the steps and the choices that had brought her here. She was out of the cold, making more money than she could have ever imagined, yes. But she had cowered from bullets twice now. Saw two people she cared about become victims of this way of life, losing one of them. She wouldn’t lose this one. Not tonight. The realization that she cared about Ricky, in this new budding way, rattled her lungs. And what of Wardlow? He had come back more haggard than Esther could imagine anyone looking. Did he consider this business worth it?

About midnight, a soft knock sounded at the door.

“Miss Garnier?” Wardlow poked in his head. His boyish grin made her return a smile. After quietly entering the room, he pulled up a chair. “Mrs. Anne will have my head if I let you sit up all night.”

“I won’t be able to forgive myself if I don’t.”

“Yes, you can. And you should.” Wardlow eased out a sigh. “You saved his life, you know?”

“After putting it in danger in the first place.”

He frowned. “You did no such thing. This… disagreement is older than your tenure here. If they hadn’t nabbed him while he was with you, they would have come to the house for him. Or would have done it downtown.” He leaned closer to her. “You got to us in the nick of time. You knew exactly which details to give us so we knew who had him. Jericho was waiting for us when we arrived at Jazzies. If you had tried to operate the car, or had hesitated in any way, it would have been a corpse they tossed out to us. But it wasn’t. He’s alive. And I know, when he wakes up, Ricky will thank you for it.”

She wasn’t sure when it started, but Esther reached up to wipe away her tears. “It’s not my fault.”

“No. Not in the slightest.” He offered her his handkerchief. “You’ve had a rough start in this life. Rougher than most. But you don’t have to stay in it.” The soft, almost brokenness of his voice startled her. “If you want out, I can see to it. I can move you anywhere you like. New York, Atlanta. Hell, I’ll set you up in London if you’d like.” He tried to flash her smile, but it was too heavy with unwillingness to stick. “Just say the word.”

Again, Esther took stock. Her nerves were shot. More danger for her and the crew was on the horizon. And more than anything she wanted to forget the whole thing. But then she looked at Ricky. She remembered how he had left his family for this life. His haggard breathing made her want to see him healed up. She looked at Wardlow. How much his eyes begged her to stay, despite what he’d said. And how kind he was trying to be for her.

“I can’t leave,” she finally said. “How can I? You boys need all the help you can get. Besides, I haven’t even had my first day on the job. Can’t quit what I haven’t started.”

Wardlow’s face lit up. “I’m- that is good to hear.” He took her hand, giving it two reassuring squeezes. “Now, you really must go to bed. Can you trust me to look after him till at least morning? You’ll be able to watch over him better if you’ve rested.”

The invalid in question seconded that idea with a loud snore.

Esther laughed into her hand to muffle it. “Alright. I trust you.” She squeezed his hand back as she stood. “I’ll see you in the morning, then. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

She was asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow. And she didn’t wake up until Mrs. Anne brought her a breakfast tray the next morning.

\\***//

Chapter 3: Learning and Healing

[heartsoulrocknroll]

AEW Dynamite 4/10/24

Swerve attacks Joe before his scheduled eliminator match with Dustin Rhodes and spears him through a table!!

Adam Copeland (c) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo for the TNT Championship -- Penta goes for Fear Factor on the apron, but Copeland blocks it and pushes him into the ring post. Penta runs at Copeland, who catches him with a powerslam on the apron! Copeland goes for a spear outside, but Penta moves and he hits Alex instead. Penta lands an avalanche Code Red inside, then snaps back Copeland's arm, and covers for two! Penta springboards off the ropes, but Copeland takes him out of midair with a spear for the pinfall!

Solid match here with Penta getting a lot of offense in. Kinda dragged on for me though. Rating: 3

Body King and Julia Hart surround Copeland after match. Willow comes out to help.

Renee is with Jericho, Hook, and Shibata. Jericho says Hook and Shibata will sit under the learning tree of Chris Jericho. Lmao. He lays out what they need to do to beat Shane Taylor Promotions. After Jericho leaves, Shibata uses Google translate to ask what Jericho's deal is. Then he tells Renee that he likes her necklace. Lol.

Renee is now with Copeland, Willow, Stokely, new ROH World Champion Mark Briscoe, and Eddie Kingston. Stokely suggests that Copeland defend the TNT Championship against Willow, which I think is a phenomenal idea that should absolutely happen. But they agree to a mixed tag team match against Brody and Julia.

The Bucks are backstage with a screen to show the All In footage that AEW has been hyping up all week. God. They mention the altercation between Jack Perry and someone who tried to make everything about himself, someone who is a friend of FTR. Nick suggests that FTR is behind the whole thing. Matt says they can't make accusations without proof, which is an obvious sarcastic shot at the Punk interview. Matt says they had to be EVPs at All In and had to neglect being professional wrestlers, so there should be a big asterisk next to FTR's victory over them that night. They show the footage of Punk shoving and choking Perry backstage, before the people around them stop the fight. Matt says that isn't the worst part. The worst part is filling a building with the most people ever at a wrestling show, only to be distracted by something so stupid that you lose on your big night. And FTR had the balls to stick their hands out and ask them to shake hands. Nick says at Dynasty, they're not shaking hands, you pricks.

Where do I begin? I think blaming the Punk/Perry fight on FTR and using that as an excuse for the Bucks being distracted and losing to FTR at All In is a fine angle. But obviously, the only reason this is being done at all is to give AEW an excuse to show the footage, because Tony got his feelings hurt by the recent Punk interview that no one will shut up about. I think it's a bad look for AEW to still be dwelling on this eight months later, as if they need to rely on this drama for ratings, or need to prove something to someone. Although I am not sure what Tony thinks this footage proves, as it only shows exactly what Punk said happened and only gives Punk, the well-known attention whore, more attention. This company cannot keep acknowledging every shot someone takes at them. It looks pathetic. Tony Khan is a huge man baby and needs to hire someone else to run this company and make the decisions, because he clearly isn't capable of doing it.

FTR come out to the ring with a mic. Cash asks why the Bucks are showing this footage, other than to have an excuse for losing. They are ready to move on and put this in the past. Despite the fact that AEW is now doing some of their best shows ever, they are still showing footage from eight months ago. At Dynasty, FTR have to win, not for their legacy, not to be considered the greatest of all time, but because they are sick of these "petty little bitches," the Young Bucks.

Dax says they have eclipsed the Bucks as the best tag team on the planet. At one time, the Bucks cared about the three letters AEW, but now, three other letters have taken over, and they only care about what is best for the EVPs. Dax says they are building AEW so that wrestlers can have a choice. They are building AEW for hard-working people who spend their money on tickets. And if the Bucks don't want to be part of that AEW, they can go home, because FTR have got this. Dax says the Bucks may have laid the foundation, but FTR are going to put the roof on top of the house, just to blow it right back off!!

Great delivery by Dax here. I am not sure what to make of this, as FTR basically said everything I was thinking about that All In footage being shown. It's kind of strange to show the footage, and then have someone else on the show acknowledge why showing the footage was a stupid thing, as the reasoning for why it was stupid can be applied to the real-life "man" Tony Khan as easily as it can be applied to the kayfabe Young Bucks characters. Weird to acknowledge that you knew it was a stupid thing to do, but you chose to do it anyway. I don't know anything anymore.

Ospreay comes out to the stage for an interview with Renee. He addresses the recent comments that Triple H made about not wanting people who want to work a lighter schedule and who don't want to "grind" in the WWE (comments which were obviously about Ospreay). He says there is a rumor going around that he is afraid of the grind. And he is not sure where that comes from, because he is flying back and forth from the UK to the US every week and delivering some of the best matches the world has ever seen. Normally, he wouldn't rise to this type of bait, but seeing as the person who said it is "only in the position he is in because he was grinding on the boss' daughter," he will. Ospreay says he is in no position to tell Ospreay what the grind is all about.

I have a lot of thoughts about this. I think Triple H's comments were completely asinine and unnecessary. Who wouldn't pick the lighter schedule and more money?? An idiot?? But regardless, we're back to tonight's theme of this company being unable to ignore shots taken at them and let their own programming speak for itself. I kind of get the feeling that this is all coming from Tony Khan, and isn't necessarily what these guys want to be showing or saying on TV. But who knows. It's a mess either way.

Ospreay then moves on to Danielson. He mentions Danielson saying that Ospreay is stronger and faster, and his only chance to win is to ground Ospreay. Ospreay says healthier, younger, and better men have tried and failed. But Danielson is a living legend. And Ospreay can't call himself the best wrestler in the world until after he pins Danielson. It is time for him to show everyone why he is the ace of AEW.

Yeesh. So we are back to cringe Ospreay promos after a couple of unusually good weeks. I hated every second of that. Lmao.

Chris Jericho, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shane Taylor, Lee Moriarty, and Anthony Ogogo -- Jericho lands a lionsault, then a top rope rana on Moriarty early on. Shibata tags in with nasty elbows and a nasty round kick to the back of Moriarty!!! Huge lariat from Taylor to Hook! Hook and Taylor trade elbows, Taylor takes Hook down with a headbutt, Hook lands a German suplex on Taylor!!! Wow! Beautiful Shibata hot tag action, as he comes in with boots in the corner, rapidly alternating jaw jabs and chest chops, a running corner dropkick, then a nice snap suplex for two on Moriarty! Shibata lands a back heel trip and goes for a tag, but Jericho pulls Hook off the apron, yelling about the plan and the learning tree. Lmao. Shibata gets a sleeper on Moriarty, but Taylor comes in with a big right hand to Shibata to break the hold, then Moriarty lands the Fang on Shibata for the pinfall!! Wtf.

I really enjoyed this match. I thought everything was done well here. Shibata looked awesome as always. Really sick of Shibata eating losses left and right though. Rating: 3.25

Dustin is with Renee. He says his strategy doesn't change since Joe was attacked. It is always grit, passion, and glory for him, and tonight will be no different.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Cristiano Argento -- Okada lands the knee neckbreaker, a dropkick, and a Rainmaker for the pinfall and looks so bored 💕❤💕. Rating: AWESOME SQUASH

Okada gets a mic and calls out Pac. He says he accepts Pac's challenge and will see him at Dynasty. HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!! Pac heads to the ring! The Bucks come from behind to attack Pac. FTR come out to even the odds. They set Matt up for Shatter Machine, but Okada grabs a chair. The Bucks go nuts with superkicks. Okada swings for the fences with chair to Pac's head. Damn!!! I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS MATCH!!!!!!!!!!

Bullet Club Gold promo about what happened at Supercard of Honor with the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn.

Renee is with Thunder Rosa and Toni Storm for a "champagne toast" that Storm has organized. Storm just throws the champagne in Rosa's face and partially wipes her face paint off with a towel. Purrazzo comes out to try to help, but Rosa pushes her away. This was a really weird segment.

Anna Jay vs. Mariah May -- They trade overhand chops. Anna with a nice blockbuster neckbreaker, then a neckbreaker over the second rope. Mariah lands a headbutt. Anna with a back elbow then a spinning heel kick in the corner. Mariah lands a missile dropkick off the top and a hip attack for two. Anna gets a couple of nearfalls with a hook kick and a back heel trip. She goes for something else, but Mariah reverses into a roll up for the pinfall.

This was alright. Not much to it. Rating: 1.75

Anna chokes Mariah after the match. Mina Shirakawa comes out to help Mariah. She feeds Mariah champagne and kisses her on the lips. Mariah is very happy about this. What is going on.

Alex Marvez has a sit-down interview with Mercedes. Mercedes says AEW made history with their first pay-per-view in Vegas, and she wants to make history again this year at Double or Nothing. Julia and Willow are both some of the best. She has been in the ring with Willow before. She talks about losing to Willow for the New Japan Strong Women's Championship and getting injured. She hates to lose. But she always has a plan, and she is on a mission. The lights go out. There is commotion. The lights come back to reveal Mercedes on the floor.

Samoa Joe vs. Dustin Rhodes (AEW World Championship Eliminator Match) -- Dustin with right hands outside. Joe sends Dustin face-first into the ring post. Dustin's head is busted open. Joe with jabs, elbow, chops, Manhattan drop, big boot, running back senton, and a cover for two. Dustin with a powerslam. They trade rights hands. Dustin with jabs and a bionic elbow, then Code Red for two! Joe blocks a bulldog attempt and pummels Dustin with a huge lariat, sending him outside. Dustin grabs the belt and thinks about hitting Joe, but then throws it aside. Dustin lands Cross Rhodes for two. Joe with a huge STO in the corner! Joe grabs Swerve's steel chain. The ref takes it and hands it outside. Joe grabs the belt while the ref is distracted and nails Dustin in the face, then covers him for three.

Perfectly fine match. Just short with an obvious result. Rating: 3

Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch on Dustin after the match, but Swerve comes out to break it up with a House Call kick, then lands a right hand to Joe's head with the steel chain!! Security comes out to get between them. Nana hands Swerve the AEW World Championship.

[brothersgrim]

Valentine’s Day Application

Name:  Bray Wyatt Age: 28 Do you like to cuddle? "We would be so close it's as if we shared ribs and a heart. I would teach you the meaning of true intimacy." Can we make-out? "Yeah, sure. A night in or dinner out? "A night in would be so much more intimate. I would rather have you to myself." Whip cream or chocolate syrup? "On you, both." Chocolates and roses? "Please, neither of us are so sentimental. We don't care for such simple pleasantries that are nothing more than cultural artifacts manufactured by corporate greed. No, for a gift I'd find you something far more suitable, more morbid, even." What makes you a good Valentine? "I love you more than anyone ever would or could. I understand you. I will never let you go." Would you cook for me? "Of course, how do you feel about jambalaya?" Would you let me cook for you? "I would love to have you cook for me." Where would you take me on a date? "The depths of the swamp to show you the beauty of the dark waters at night, when the moonlight shines in the refraction of the ripples."

Who’s paying? "For you, my time is always free." What did you get me for Valentine’s Day? "Eternity."

He doesn't know why he bothered leaving his room. ... Then he downs his shot. Right, right. That's why he was here.

To get absolutely fucking plastered.

To forget.

It's a dark bar, the opposite of reputable, and everything reeks of cigarettes and stale beer and something else. Probably vomit. It's acrid like vomit, at least. He pours himself another glass from the bottle and it makes his nose burn enough he doesn't smell the bar anymore. He drinks that, too. It tastes like paint thinner.

Good.

He's not sure how long he's been sitting here. A few hours, at least. Long enough that the bartender's started giving him glances, but it had taken only one snarling glare to convince the skinny punk there were better ways to spend his time.

He likes to think his bad mood is justified. He's been dealing with today alone, as he deals with most things. Alone is safe. Alone is smart. If he handles it alone, he doesn't have to worry about someone else screwing up. (Or someone else getting hurt.) The only problem is, he's not sure how to deal with Valentine's Day.

He shouldn't care. It shouldn't matter what day this is. This is not a day of sacrifice. He doesn't have a fight tonight (he wishes he did). He has to plan his order schedule for when he gets back, he'll have to check on the Yard soon - it's been a while. A week, give or take, and that's too long. He'd rather be there. Give him souls to govern, skulls to break, laws to lay down, a three-count on the mat. Anything but being alone with his thoughts.

Kane is out with Cody, and Taker is happy for his brother, he is. Cody's a good man. Kane is happy. At the end of everything, that's all Taker wants. His brother is happy. He won't get in the way of that. He'd never dream of it. But still...

"Fuck Chris Jericho." He mutters around the rim of his glass. ('And why should you matter? You're nothing special. You've never been anything - you're just a man.') He swallows back another mouthful of fiery swill. "And fuck Steve Austin." ('What, son, did it bother you when I made those calls? Did it eat you up hearing the truth, remembering what you did? Or maybe, maybe it's the way your baby brother squealed when I snapped his arm again and again and again--')

"And fuck that driver--" ('ADAM-!') He tries to pour another drink. The bottle comes up short. He pulls up from his slouch and raises the empty bottle to the barkeep. "'M gonna need another one of these." And, as the stool beside him creaks, he grimaces. "Make it a double." He keeps his eyes stubbornly forward as Bray talks. He's waxing poetic, spouting off about this bullshit and that bullshit. He's really laying it on thick. If it were any other day, he'd tell Bray he was barking up the wrong tree. In a different situation, he'd take the bottle the barkeep had handed him (accepted with a grunt of gratitude) and smash it on Bray's head. As warped as Taker's perception is, he knows this is weird. There's an ominous river weaving its way through Bray's words that should send up every warning flag in the book.

But you know what?

He's drunk.

He's immortal.

He's miserable.

He's alone.

So he downs one more mouthful from the bottle, swallows, and takes the entire thing with him as he pushes away.

"Fine, fuck it." He mumbles, rising to his feet and glancing at Bray.

"What'd you say 'bout jambalaya?"