The RubyWay Chronicles: Part 8.2 - The Elephant In the Room
Aug 4, 2016 19:54:34 GMT -5
Post by Ruby Tyler on Aug 4, 2016 19:54:34 GMT -5
[Continued from Kevin Hardaway's RP.]
The rock salt isn’t quite as dangerous to the walls as buckshot, but there’s still some damage that will need to be repaired eventually. Her first instinct is to yell at him for it, but as she opens her mouth she realizes that he’s still kneeling there in the middle of her living room carpet, stricken by the weight of his actions. The air felt lighter, and Ruby knew that the ghostly presence was gone. But her partner was still here, so she knelt down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.
Ruby Tyler: Kevin… she’s gone. You did what you had to do. It’s over. This is what we have to do as hunters. Split second decisions, hard decisions, to do the best we can to help the people involved. For you, this was the first time. It’s not going to be the last. And I wish I could tell you it gets easier as time goes on, but… it doesn’t. Best you can hope for most of the time is to have someone around who understands what it’s like. And right now, you’ve got me.
Kevin just stays kneeled down on the carpet, trying to take in what had just happened and what has just went through his head, listening to what Ruby had to say. In the year and a half that they have known each other, the both of them trying hand and hand to make sure the other wasn’t breathing, and even lately throughout their training and all of the bickering between the two, and...this felt like the first time that she actually showed outright care for him. No yelling, no insults. Just genuine care. It was a lot to take in, he wasn’t going to lie.
A deep breath goes in and out of his stomach as his eyes finally return to a more normal state. After the shot rang out, his eyes turned into a mix of glass and bloodshot. No tears were streaming down his face, mostly because he wasn’t in the urge to cry out. He was still in a state of shock, but as time and Ruby’s words went by, his shock subsided. He was still kneeling down but he was trying to get words out of his mouth in response. And he finally did.
Kevin Hardaway: I...I know. I guess I wasn’t as ready as I thought I was, hm?
She didn’t smile or nod or even agree with him. Now really wasn’t the time for her to do what she did best to him, but Kevin tried his best to try and lighten the mood as only he could.
Kevin Hardaway: I...look like a dope kneeling here, don’t I?
It was his way of trying to grieve. It was his only way.
Ruby Tyler: You don’t really match the carpet, and you’re a bit useless as a piece of furniture, so I’m going to say yes.
She smiled then and pushed herself up, giving him time to collect himself as she went into the kitchen to grab two beers from the fridge. Popping the caps off expertly, she came back and sat on the couch, handing a bottle over to him.
Ruby Tyler: Vegas and what happened afterward… shouldn’t have happened. Things were too fucked up then. And they’re even more fucked up now. Which is why I think it’s best if we just keep the past in the past and leave the elephant in the room where it is.
He grabs the bottle and joins her on the couch, sitting on the opposite side of it as he just sips from his beer and looks blankly at the wall. He’s obviously listening to what she’s telling him, but there’s still a part of him that is running back and forth between what just happened and now and everything else in between. It’s almost too much from him, but he decides to take a deep breath and chugs the beer a little more this time. Ah, alcohol. The cause to, and solution to, all of life’s problems.
Kevin Hardaway: Yeah, I agree. We both know what happened there and afterwards, it… was a rough time for the both of us. I think we both just needed something and against our wills, we let it get the best of us. So...I’m sorry for bringing it up. My adrenaline was going through the roof when I saw that and then with everything…yeah, I’m sorry.
He reaches out his beer to Ruby and offers up the two of them clanging their bottles together as a sign of good will between the two, looking at her with a defeated, but yet optimistic look from his eyes as she agrees and clangs her bottle against his. A bit of silence runs through the house, before Kevin speaks up again.
Kevin Hardaway: I have a question though...was I any good? Like, this has also been troubling me for awhile now and I just had to get it out there. I promise we’ll put this in the past after this, but I just need to know…
Ruby just stares at him wide-eyed, biting her lower lip and taking a swig of her beer to try and cover up her surprise at his question.
Ruby Tyler: What does it even matter? You were there, you know what happened. It was… well, it was. It happened. What more do you want?
She looked away from him then and got up from the couch, turning her back to him. She crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the television mounted above the fireplace. But it was useless, because she could still see his reflection in the blank screen.
Ruby Tyler: I don’t want to think about Vegas or the woods because if I admit they happened then I have to think about why they happened and how I felt and that’s really not something I want to do.
As she saw his reflection in the blank television screen, he saw her reaction in the screen as well. One of confusion and uncertainty. Her arms were crossed, but she was scratching her eyes a bit with one of her fingers and just overall really twitchy. He finished drinking the beer she got him as he got up from the couch to put it in the trash...also, just to make sure she didn’t have to look at him in the television screen, just to ease her pain and ease her stress levels.
Kevin Hardaway: I was just curious, that’s all. It was a while since...that, and, I was just curious to know what you thought. I was expecting you to just go “Eh, I had better!” or something along the lines of that, just as a joke to fire back with. You think this is comfortable to talk about? Of course it isn’t. The reason I brought it up though is just because I want us at ease with one another going into our match with the Suspects. And maybe going forward. I always felt that Vegas and the woods and this entire ordeal has been a weight on our shoulders that we need to get rid of before we move forward, not just with us trying to be partners...but hunters. That’s why I freaked, because I was tired of thinking about us being so stressed out about it. I know it’s on your mind. I know it every single day.
He goes to the fridge and grabs another beer and gives one to Ruby as well, even though she’s almost done with hers, it’s never too quickly to have another. He pops the caps off...with a bottle opener from his keys, as he’s not the hotshot expert at opening beer as she is, and puts hers on the table. The reflection of him now once again showing on the blank television screen as he takes another drink.
Ruby Tyler: How do you do that?
She whirled around, facing him and setting her beer on the mantle.
Ruby Tyler: How do you know that I think about it every goddamn day? Every time I look at you, I think about it. Some days I can’t stand the sight of you because all that goes through my mind is you pushing me up against a motel room door and tearing my dress open. You want to know if it was good? Yeah, it was. It was fucking incredible and I hate that because not only should it not have happened but I shouldn’t be wanting it to happen again. Not with you.
Her voice was raised, but she didn’t go near him. Ruby’s hands were balled into fists at her sides and she glared at her partner, though she was more angry with herself than she was with him. She hated that she was admitting all this and that this was even a thing that was happening.
Ruby Tyler: There’s a reason we don’t talk about this shit.
Kevin Hardaway: Fair enough. I’m done talking about it so you can stop looking at me like you want to grab your crossbow and stick me between the eyes if you want to.
He takes another swig of his beer. He was done talking about it, but in a way, he wasn’t done talking about it. He was just done at that moment. Trying to get a rise out of Ruby was one thing, and Kevin is an expert on that at the very least, but he wasn’t expecting to hear all of that from her. About how she indeed loved it but that it ate her up inside. When he meant by that he wasn’t done talking, he wanted to tell her how he felt about the whole situation, but he decided to just let it be. He didn’t want to ruin anything else between the two, because any goodwill that was once there between the two after the incident that took place here a little bit ago was immediately squashed. He has a tendency to do that after all.
At this point, he just wanted to just drive home, but he was still feeling exhausted from what transpired. Plus, they had other work to do, so he pretty much had to bite his lip and deal with her for the time being. Then at least he could go home and spend time with people who actually give a shit about him.
Kevin Hardaway: So yeah, I just added another few months into the quota. So have at it.
Ruby sighed heavily. She knew this conversation wasn’t done, not by a long shot, but with the way he was looking at her, she didn’t trust herself to keep from doing something stupid… again.
Ruby Tyler: Stay here if you want. I’m going to my room. We’ll work on our shit for the Suspects later, or tomorrow. Whatever. I think we both need a break from each other.
Kevin Hardaway: Yeah, you’re right. You go do you, and I’ll finish my drink and head out. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
She doesn’t answer but she just nods as she walks up the stairs and the last sound he hears is the door to her bedroom close.
The rock salt isn’t quite as dangerous to the walls as buckshot, but there’s still some damage that will need to be repaired eventually. Her first instinct is to yell at him for it, but as she opens her mouth she realizes that he’s still kneeling there in the middle of her living room carpet, stricken by the weight of his actions. The air felt lighter, and Ruby knew that the ghostly presence was gone. But her partner was still here, so she knelt down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.
Ruby Tyler: Kevin… she’s gone. You did what you had to do. It’s over. This is what we have to do as hunters. Split second decisions, hard decisions, to do the best we can to help the people involved. For you, this was the first time. It’s not going to be the last. And I wish I could tell you it gets easier as time goes on, but… it doesn’t. Best you can hope for most of the time is to have someone around who understands what it’s like. And right now, you’ve got me.
Kevin just stays kneeled down on the carpet, trying to take in what had just happened and what has just went through his head, listening to what Ruby had to say. In the year and a half that they have known each other, the both of them trying hand and hand to make sure the other wasn’t breathing, and even lately throughout their training and all of the bickering between the two, and...this felt like the first time that she actually showed outright care for him. No yelling, no insults. Just genuine care. It was a lot to take in, he wasn’t going to lie.
A deep breath goes in and out of his stomach as his eyes finally return to a more normal state. After the shot rang out, his eyes turned into a mix of glass and bloodshot. No tears were streaming down his face, mostly because he wasn’t in the urge to cry out. He was still in a state of shock, but as time and Ruby’s words went by, his shock subsided. He was still kneeling down but he was trying to get words out of his mouth in response. And he finally did.
Kevin Hardaway: I...I know. I guess I wasn’t as ready as I thought I was, hm?
She didn’t smile or nod or even agree with him. Now really wasn’t the time for her to do what she did best to him, but Kevin tried his best to try and lighten the mood as only he could.
Kevin Hardaway: I...look like a dope kneeling here, don’t I?
It was his way of trying to grieve. It was his only way.
Ruby Tyler: You don’t really match the carpet, and you’re a bit useless as a piece of furniture, so I’m going to say yes.
She smiled then and pushed herself up, giving him time to collect himself as she went into the kitchen to grab two beers from the fridge. Popping the caps off expertly, she came back and sat on the couch, handing a bottle over to him.
Ruby Tyler: Vegas and what happened afterward… shouldn’t have happened. Things were too fucked up then. And they’re even more fucked up now. Which is why I think it’s best if we just keep the past in the past and leave the elephant in the room where it is.
He grabs the bottle and joins her on the couch, sitting on the opposite side of it as he just sips from his beer and looks blankly at the wall. He’s obviously listening to what she’s telling him, but there’s still a part of him that is running back and forth between what just happened and now and everything else in between. It’s almost too much from him, but he decides to take a deep breath and chugs the beer a little more this time. Ah, alcohol. The cause to, and solution to, all of life’s problems.
Kevin Hardaway: Yeah, I agree. We both know what happened there and afterwards, it… was a rough time for the both of us. I think we both just needed something and against our wills, we let it get the best of us. So...I’m sorry for bringing it up. My adrenaline was going through the roof when I saw that and then with everything…yeah, I’m sorry.
He reaches out his beer to Ruby and offers up the two of them clanging their bottles together as a sign of good will between the two, looking at her with a defeated, but yet optimistic look from his eyes as she agrees and clangs her bottle against his. A bit of silence runs through the house, before Kevin speaks up again.
Kevin Hardaway: I have a question though...was I any good? Like, this has also been troubling me for awhile now and I just had to get it out there. I promise we’ll put this in the past after this, but I just need to know…
Ruby just stares at him wide-eyed, biting her lower lip and taking a swig of her beer to try and cover up her surprise at his question.
Ruby Tyler: What does it even matter? You were there, you know what happened. It was… well, it was. It happened. What more do you want?
She looked away from him then and got up from the couch, turning her back to him. She crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the television mounted above the fireplace. But it was useless, because she could still see his reflection in the blank screen.
Ruby Tyler: I don’t want to think about Vegas or the woods because if I admit they happened then I have to think about why they happened and how I felt and that’s really not something I want to do.
As she saw his reflection in the blank television screen, he saw her reaction in the screen as well. One of confusion and uncertainty. Her arms were crossed, but she was scratching her eyes a bit with one of her fingers and just overall really twitchy. He finished drinking the beer she got him as he got up from the couch to put it in the trash...also, just to make sure she didn’t have to look at him in the television screen, just to ease her pain and ease her stress levels.
Kevin Hardaway: I was just curious, that’s all. It was a while since...that, and, I was just curious to know what you thought. I was expecting you to just go “Eh, I had better!” or something along the lines of that, just as a joke to fire back with. You think this is comfortable to talk about? Of course it isn’t. The reason I brought it up though is just because I want us at ease with one another going into our match with the Suspects. And maybe going forward. I always felt that Vegas and the woods and this entire ordeal has been a weight on our shoulders that we need to get rid of before we move forward, not just with us trying to be partners...but hunters. That’s why I freaked, because I was tired of thinking about us being so stressed out about it. I know it’s on your mind. I know it every single day.
He goes to the fridge and grabs another beer and gives one to Ruby as well, even though she’s almost done with hers, it’s never too quickly to have another. He pops the caps off...with a bottle opener from his keys, as he’s not the hotshot expert at opening beer as she is, and puts hers on the table. The reflection of him now once again showing on the blank television screen as he takes another drink.
Ruby Tyler: How do you do that?
She whirled around, facing him and setting her beer on the mantle.
Ruby Tyler: How do you know that I think about it every goddamn day? Every time I look at you, I think about it. Some days I can’t stand the sight of you because all that goes through my mind is you pushing me up against a motel room door and tearing my dress open. You want to know if it was good? Yeah, it was. It was fucking incredible and I hate that because not only should it not have happened but I shouldn’t be wanting it to happen again. Not with you.
Her voice was raised, but she didn’t go near him. Ruby’s hands were balled into fists at her sides and she glared at her partner, though she was more angry with herself than she was with him. She hated that she was admitting all this and that this was even a thing that was happening.
Ruby Tyler: There’s a reason we don’t talk about this shit.
Kevin Hardaway: Fair enough. I’m done talking about it so you can stop looking at me like you want to grab your crossbow and stick me between the eyes if you want to.
He takes another swig of his beer. He was done talking about it, but in a way, he wasn’t done talking about it. He was just done at that moment. Trying to get a rise out of Ruby was one thing, and Kevin is an expert on that at the very least, but he wasn’t expecting to hear all of that from her. About how she indeed loved it but that it ate her up inside. When he meant by that he wasn’t done talking, he wanted to tell her how he felt about the whole situation, but he decided to just let it be. He didn’t want to ruin anything else between the two, because any goodwill that was once there between the two after the incident that took place here a little bit ago was immediately squashed. He has a tendency to do that after all.
At this point, he just wanted to just drive home, but he was still feeling exhausted from what transpired. Plus, they had other work to do, so he pretty much had to bite his lip and deal with her for the time being. Then at least he could go home and spend time with people who actually give a shit about him.
Kevin Hardaway: So yeah, I just added another few months into the quota. So have at it.
Ruby sighed heavily. She knew this conversation wasn’t done, not by a long shot, but with the way he was looking at her, she didn’t trust herself to keep from doing something stupid… again.
Ruby Tyler: Stay here if you want. I’m going to my room. We’ll work on our shit for the Suspects later, or tomorrow. Whatever. I think we both need a break from each other.
Kevin Hardaway: Yeah, you’re right. You go do you, and I’ll finish my drink and head out. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
She doesn’t answer but she just nods as she walks up the stairs and the last sound he hears is the door to her bedroom close.
Ruby Tyler sits alone at a dingy poker table, her feet kicked up as she polishes a .22-caliber revolver. After a few moments, she looks up at the camera and grins.
“This Saturday at Vertigo, me and Hardaway are gonna be stepping out in the City of Sin against Jason Marx and Chris Tryon, the wrecking crew known as The Usual Suspects. I want to know if the Suspects are feeling lucky, or if their chickenshit manager Anthony Rother is, once again, going to make this match all about him. See, that’s the problem with the Suspects. I don’t know who Jason Marx and Chris Tryon are. They’re just the guys who show up in the ring and try to beat the crap out of everyone who gets in their way. Maybe they’re both dumb as a box of bricks, or maybe it’s that neither of them likes public speaking. But whatever the case, them having Rother around is basically equivalent to them leaving a nerve exposed.”
She finishes with her gun and sets it down on the table, tilting her chair back and crossing her arms over her chest as she addresses the audience directly, her dark eyes full of fire and mischief.
“See, Vegas is the home of one of my most violent - oh wait, I forgot, I’m not allowed to bring up anything I’ve done in other companies. And, you know, what happens in Vegas and all. Anyway. Back to Anthony Rother. I’m glad I’ve managed to put the fear of God into him, and I don’t care what kind of hoops he’s going to try and jump through to get himself out of getting handcuffed to the ring. Hell, I don’t even care about these so-called surprises he’s got up his sleeve. Because Anthony Rother has already showed his hand. He can talk all day long about the destruction and mayhem that his clients will cause but when we get down to brass tacks - which I will not have in the ring with me on Saturday - Anthony Rother is terrified of what I can do to him. Anthony Rother is the weak link in his team, and one of the first things you learn in hunting is to always go after the weak ones.”
Her expression turns menacing as she speaks and she reaches for the gun on the table, opening the chamber and loading in a single bullet.
“Anthony Rother and his Suspects, however, are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems in Frontier Grappling Arts. This company is infested with parasites, and the infestation starts at the very top. People like Zero McHannon, Johnny Cannon, Tony Carmine, Jimmy Page… these people are at the top of the food chain here in this company. Men who have done unspeakable, reprehensible things to fans and fellow competitors alike. And despite fines levied against them, they continue this behavior because nobody will stand against them. But that isn't true any longer, because I am not going to put up with this bullshit any longer.”
“This company is a cesspool, even more so than your average wrestling company. The same people are gifted with title shots and opportunities to advance, while telling the rest of us to sit down, shut up, and wait our turn. But now there are so many people waiting for their shot that it's nearly impossible for anyone new to the company to even accomplish something worth talking about here, since once you join this company, it's only the things that happen here that matter. That's why my partner and I pushed our way into the title match against Status Quo and Next Level. Because things here are stagnating, and I don't want to see what happened in San Diego happen here. That starts by putting down The Usual Suspects and keeping them out of power. And it ends when the cancer at the top of this company has been excised and burned to ash.”
She loads two more bullets into the gun and pushes the chamber back into place, spinning it with a satisfied expression on her face. Once it stops, she aims it at the camera.
“One for Anthony Rother. One for Jason Marx. One for Chris Tryon. Six rounds, three empty chambers. Fifty-fifty chance of success. So let me ask you something, fellas… you feeling lucky this weekend?”
With a wide smile, she pulls the trigger and the gun clicks. Empty chamber.
“Cause I know I am.”