#9.19.13

The truth is

while you dream of him holding you until you are safe again

he is holding someone else

with that face

the one your best friend says looks like something’s crawling out of his eyes

And telling new lies

Or the same ones

And it’s alright

because he’s not that powerful

No one is

and he didn’t break your face

he wanted to shatter you to pieces

so as to hold you more conveniently

he desired you in his pockets

slivers of you cutting at his finger prints

as he palmed other women’s frames

he wanted you as broken as his own mind

But you don’t shatter

Or even bend really

You absorb

dropped my math class today, finally. that teacher was making me more uncomfortable than my body is.

honestly thats saying a lot because my dysphoria has been blaring nonstop in my face the entire week and i just got out of a depressive dip so now i have more to think about than just utter sadness. now i have anxiety and pain. woo! yeah. nice.

I just want to crawl in a hole and die. 

As RAW rolled into the Main Event portion of the night, the crowd was jostling with excitement over re-issued Open Challenge. Cheers went up as Smoke and Mirrors played over the arena and Cody Rhodes waltzed out onto the stage, geared up and ready to go. He made his way down the ramp, slapping a couple of hands with his good arm before retrieving a microphone and rolling into the ring.

"I’m sure you’re all probably expecting me to say a bunch of things about Dean Ambrose and the events that happened Sunday…" Cody started, looking around the arena as a confirmation of cheers went up. "But truth is, I don’t have much of anything I want to say about it. I went and participated in what could have been one of the most brutal matches of my career… And Psycho decided he wanted to go another route and try to break me. As you all can see by me standing here," Cody carefully and pointedly stretched out his left arm, which was taped up carefully with a brace around it, "he failed. That’s all there is to it. So without any further ado… I announced Sunday to my peers that this would be an open challenge and I’d take on anyone who wanted to step into this ring with me and wrestle. Our esteemed General Manager would rather I not exert myself very much, so… First come, first serve boys."

Tossing the microphone away, Cody removed his long jacket to fully reveal the WWE Title where it was wrapped around his waist. As he handed the jacket off to an official, none other than Chuck Taylor’s music hit. A frown pulled at Cody’s lips as he turned from the corner to watch as the Kentucky Gentleman bounded out from the back with a goofy grin lighting up his features. The crowd made no secret of it’s excitement at the apparent King vs. Champion match up.

As Chuck climbed into the ring, Cody glared and reached down to free the title from his waist, holding it up into the air for a moment for all to see. Satisfied with his show of superiority, the champion handed the title off to officials ringside and turned back to his opponent for the night. The referee was checking Chuck to make sure he didn’t have anything illegal on him, and soon turned to check Cody and make certain that yes, he did want this. Then the bell was rung and the two men stood across the ring from each other, tension so thick one could cut it with a knife.

"Sup, buddy?" Chuck could be heard saying as he and Cody started to circle, bouncing from one foot to the other in anticipation. Nodding toward the champion’s arm, he pat his own sympathetically. "Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you pal. Don’t want you getting more hurt, do we?"

"Oh, you don’t need to worry about me." Was Cody’s simple response before he stopped his movements and motioned for a lock-up. Chuck seemed surprised by this, given the other’s condition, but edged forward none-the-less. At the last second before they were about to lock up, Cody smoothly dodged away and around Chuck, instead hitting a Russian Leg Sweep. Immediately after, he was in the middle of the ring raising his arms on either side into a shrug as he showboated a bit for the crowd, looking down at Chuck smugly before hitting a running knee to his head before he could get up completely. "See? I’m already capable of out-smarting you."

As if to cement his point, Cody placed his boot on Chuck’s chest in a cocky pin attempt. The newly crowned King of the Ring kicked out almost immediately, and Cody took a step back before stomping down on the man’s chest. Then, leaning down he gripped Chuck by the hair with both hands to pull him up, making the man let out one of his girlish screams that the crowd loved.

Paying no mind to this, Cody gripped Chuck’s arm and quickly whipped him into the nearby corner. Chuck, instead of hitting the corner, gripped the top rope and jumped up and back as Cody ran forward into the corner, dodging whatever attack the champion had in mind. As Cody hit the corner and spun around, Chuck was quick to follow up with an overhead belly to belly suplex, both men hitting the mat hard on their backs and laying still for a moment as the connection had clearly winded them both.

Soon enough, however, Chuck seemed to spring back to life with a kip up as Cody was starting to stand himself. Noting this, the champion was quick to rush at the Kentucky Gentleman, but Chuck used his momentum against him to throw him over the top rope. Cody never hit the ground, however, managing to keep hold of the top rope with both hands. While Chuck’s back was turned, he attempted to skin the cat but the feat proved to be a little too much for his injured arm and the champion instead simply raised himself to stand on the apron as Chuck spun around to see him still present.

Before Rhodes could completely regain his footing, Chuck took hold of his injured left arm and yanked it down sharply against the top rope in a sit-out move. Cody reeled back immediately, dropping from the ring apron to the floor outside so that he was leaning against the apron while gripping his arm in obvious pain. Watching him, Chuck slid out of the ring and looked on in what seemed to be concern.

"Aw, did I hurt ya buddy?" He could be heard asking as he leaned in front of Cody, reaching out to ruffle the man’s hair with one hand as the other grabbed hold of the hurt arm once more for an armlock.

Before he could say anything else or get a response, however, Dean Ambrose’s music blared throughout the arena. Reflexively, Chuck turned toward the ramp—still keeping a strong grip on Cody’s injured arm so that the champion was jerked around with him. Despite the clear pain he was in, Cody’s focus was also distracted toward the stage where his ex-friend and the man responsible for his current injury was currently taking his sweet time in making his unexpected entrance.

Chuck seemed to snap out of it as the referee’s count of five reached his ears. Yanking Cody around by the arm, he shoved him into the ring and cast one last glance at Dean before sliding in after the champion. The tension grew as both men seemed hyper aware of the new threat making his way down the ramp outside of the ring. Cody, after being thrown into the ring, had dragged himself to a far corner from Chuck. He was followed, however, and the Kentucky Gentleman immediately began stomping him in the corner until the referee forced him back and away.

Chuck wasn’t having any of it and tried to get at the champion again soon after being forced back, the referee not budging. Eventually this led to him getting into an argument with the referee, yelling and stomping his feet. Meanwhile, Cody made no move to stand from his position with his arm cradled carefully to his chest. As the camera focused on the champion for a moment, it became clear that he was watching warily as Dean Ambrose moved around the ring near to where he was. Dean simply smirked, climbing up onto the ring apron completely unnoticed by both referee and Chuck, who was too busy stomping around in his tantrum to realize the new threat.

Up until his parading around the ring brought him directly into Dean’s reach as he slipped into the ring and hit a hard lariat to the unsuspecting King, laying him out on the mat. The official, startled, motioned for the bell to be rung and Chuck was declared winner by disqualification. Only attempting once to get near the Kentucky Gentleman, the referee was quickly scared out of the ring by Dean.

Looking down at the prone man, Dean placed his boot on Chuck’s head and ground down for a moment before stomping hard. Chuck screamed, but Dean didn’t pay it any mind as he spun around to look directly at where Cody was still sitting in the corner. The champion’s expression was nothing short of confused, surprise amplified by the fact that he hadn’t moved a muscle to get out of his disadvantageous position. It seemed that Cody was completely frozen in place as Dean’s attention turned to him, the younger male taking two leisurely steps to the corner he was in, smirk never leaving his features.

The crowd’s jeers seemed to explode from the time that Dean had attacked Chuck to him closing in on the injured and worn champion. However, instead of attacking the man, Dean extended a hand to Cody. Confusion passed throughout the entire arena as Cody looked from the man’s hand to his face warily. A simple word from Dean, however, was all it took to make that wary and confused look melt away into a grin.

As Cody’s good hand gripped Dean’s offered one, the younger male yanked the champion to his feet with a bit more force than necessary. His other hand automatically gripped Cody’s injured one to keep the other from overbalancing into him. The champion’s expression screwed up as pain shot through him, but Dean’s grip left the arm just as quickly as it was there as the two embraced. As they broke a part soon after, smiles present on both men’s faces while the crowd jeered at the realization of what had just happened, Cody said something to the other and Dean moved to demand a microphone from the officials ringside as the champion moved over to Chuck.

Placing his foot on the Kentucky Gentleman’s chest as he started to rise up, Cody stomped down to force him back to the mat. Leaning into his leg, he pinned the other there for a moment. Dean returned with the desired microphone and handed it over before turning his attention to Chuck as Cody removed his boot from the man’s chest. Immediately, the King tried to roll away from the pair and escape, but Dean was quick and gripped him by the hair. That same scream as before came out, this time more urgent as he immediately started yelling for Big E. to come save him.

"Where’re you going, buddy?" Cody asked, microphone to his lips as he feigned concern and hurt at the attempted escape. "I would have thought you would want to stick around for this… I mean, I do have to hold up my end of our bargain about the King of the Ring tourney, don’t I?"

"Forget it, forget it!" Chuck could be heard yelling out in pain as Dean dragged him up to his feet by his hair and locked a restraining arm around his neck. He struggled, but in a test of strength the worn and panicked Chuck Taylor was not going to overpower a fresh Dean Ambrose. "I don’t… Want to delay your lovers reunio—-OWOWOWOWOW!"

"Hey, no big deal, Ambrodes has been waiting a few months now to come back to light… What’s another minute? Dean get’s it, don’cha Psycho?" Cody completely ignored Chuck’s jab toward a less than platonic relationship between the two friends, Dean having tightened his grip in the man’s hair and yanked his head from side to side.

"We can multitask, Taylor." Dean could be heard reassuring the Kentucky Gentleman as Cody casually moved the microphone closer to the two. "Part of our charm."

That being said, Dean promptly yanked the man around and to the side, lifting him into the air and slamming him down back first onto the mat. He let Chuck roll over and attempt to crawl away before catching him by the hair again and stomping down on his back so that he was layed out on the mat once more, this time on his stomach. Dean then proceeded to grab either of the Kentucky Gentleman’s arms, keeping one foot on his back and lifting him up. He didn’t execute the curb stomp immediately, however, instead turning his head to look expectantly at Cody. Clearly sensing that the champion had more to say to the current victim of abuse and offering him that chance. Nodding, Cody moved to crouch down in front of Chuck, Dean raising him up a bit more to make him eye-level with the champion as he spoke.

"How can we win, when fools can be King? Hm… I told you before that if you by some miracle managed to win King of the Ring tournament, I would issue a public apology. Don’t want you thinking I’m not a man of my word.” Cody smirked, pausing in his speech to reach out and pat the side of the man’s face with his good hand before bringing it back to talk once more into the microphone. “I was wrong to doubt your ability to beat the rest of the… Admittedly low caliber participants of the tournament. You are clearly not a complete and total fool, despite what your previous accomplishments—or lack thereof really, would lead us to think. So, I’m sorry for not thinking you capable of winning the tournament, Taylor. But I’m not sorry for this.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Cody slammed the microphone into Chuck’s head. Dean took that as a sign to continue and promptly executed the curb stomp he’d been holding position for during Cody’s little speech. Not releasing his victim right away, he repeated the action before letting Chuck drop limply to the mat. As the other did this, Cody had moved back to lean into a nearby corner and watch events unfold. Dean glanced his way and could barely be heard over the crowd’s explosive boos.

"I didn’t break your legs too, did I ya crybaby?" Cody shoot him a briefly annoyed look before shaking his head and Dean jerked his head toward the ropes.

A silent exchange occurred and Cody moved out of the corner. Dean waited a moment before whipping Chuck toward the ropes near the champion with as much force as possible. Beautiful Disaster connected solidly with the Kentucky Gentleman’s head, Cody stumbling a couple steps on the landing. Dean placed a steadying hand on his shoulder as he walked past to drag their by now completely out of it victim up from the mat once more. Moving to the middle of the ring, Dean executed the Midnight Special before popping back up to his feet, an all too pleased grin on his features.

“Oi,” Britani caught her boyfriend’s attention as she walked into the locker room carrying something, “For you.”

“How’s your arm?” He asked, watching as she shrugged and looked away, not wanting to talk about it, “Where’d this come from?”

“It’s from Padre,” Britani answered simply.

Danny looked skeptical but took the offered takeout box, opening it to reveal a neatly made taco with all the trimmings, “Son of a bitch…”

Britani smirked to herself, “Oh? So does this mean all that heat between you two is good?”

“I.. suppose. Wish the fucker would have brought it himse-- wait,” Danny paused, looking over the gift before standing suddenly and stomping over to the door, “You think this is funny?!”

Danny lifted the takeout box in question, apparently speaking to someone just off camera before opening it and taking out the taco. He stalked over and the camera followed him to reveal Ricardo Rodriguez as Danny grabbed him by his shirt collar and shoved the offending foodstuff in his face, “You think this is fucking funny?”

Ricardo shook his head with a look of panic and confusion written all over his face, broken English and Spanish spilling from his lips as Danny continued to glare down at him. He let him go for a moment, turning as though he was going to walk away before whipping back around and slamming the taco against Ricardo’s jaw. With Ricardo on the ground, he crouched down and took hold of his shirt again.

“You tell your boss that his sorry ass better be fucking grateful I don’t think he had shit to do with that,” he explained, rearing back to punch Ricardo again before Britani came forward, grabbing his hand.

“Stop! I did it! I’m the one who brought you the taco,” she confessed, Danny quickly dropping Ricardo and standing up to face her.

“So it’s a taco of lies!” He exclaimed angrily, “What the fuck, Britani?”

Britani squared her shoulders, “This entire thing is ridiculous, Danny. A taco? Really? I just wanted you to drop it so that we could move on with our liv--”

“So you lie to me? Couldn't you have just said something instead of fucking lying?” Danny shouted back, watching as her bottom lip quivered a bit at the volume of his voice so he toned it down some, “I just don’t understand why you had to lie…”

“You wouldn’t have listened anyway!”

That just made him angry all over again, “You don’t know what the fuck I would have done!”

Britani glared at him, “Yeah? Well, maybe you’d have gone off and found your new best fucking friend, Caylee Fucking Turner! Why the fuck not?”