Post by Katarina O'Hara on Sept 17, 2014 18:16:34 GMT -6
Did he expect her to show up? Honestly? Every extra minute he had spent in this city was seemingly causing his nerves to grate like a band saw cutting through sheet metal.
Katarina walks up to the cafe nervously. She didn't know what had truly possess her to come today, but something inside her lead her here. Sophia was parked across the road in her car, reading a book while subtly keeping an eye on her friend. Katarina is dressed plainly, in sneakers, Jeans and a Blue singlet with a cat on it. her hair is down around her face and her make up minimal to none. She takes a breath before she walks into the cafe, looking around to find him. its not long before she does. She pauses, a little unsure, her fear setting in. She suddenly wasn't so sure about this and has a urge to run from the building screaming.
At least he'd been able to find a corner booth. Every window and door within sight, a good view of everyone in the place. Couldn't be too careful, after all for either of them.
Then, of course, he saw her and it was too late to run. Nathaniel lifted a hand and gestured her over quietly.
Her breath catching in her throat she slowly walks over to him, her apprehensiveness clear. She takes the seat across from him.
Did he have somebody waiting for him? That would seem natural, especially since he appears to have started drinking wine already.
Katarina: So... I'm here... now what?
Nathaniel: "First, you have something to drink."
No sooner did he say those words than did the server come over to the table, all peaches and rainbows, looking to take young Katarina's older.
Waitress: "What'll ya have, darlin'?"
Katarina: Just a raspberry and coke thanks
She offers the waiter a smile.
The woman smiles back, going off to retrieve her drink. Nathaniel turns his attention to the window, cradling his glass of wine. When the drink is brought to Katarina, he turns to his guest, allowing her a few moments to get a taste of it and, perhaps, relax a little.
She takes a sip of her drink, her hands shaking a little in her nervousness. She didn't do well with social situations at the best of times, add in her unease for this man and there you go. She puts the drink down and clasps her hands in front of her. She looks over at him, trying her hardest not to make eye contact yet not being overly rude. She tries to focus on other parts of his face. his hair, his lips. Everywhere but the eyes. After while she breaks the silence between them.
Katarina: So...
Nathaniel: "I'm marginally surprised that you showed up today. Pleasantly, but surprised nonetheless. Does this mean, then, that you've considered my offer?"
Katarina: I have considered it yes... What I'd like to know is how? How do you plan to help me where all the counselling and police have failed... And how exactly do you know about my past?
At about this point, Nathaniel should have given her what she expected: a sly, smug grin over a sip of his wine, shrugging his shoulders and exacerbating the negativity of the situation by being infuriatingly coy. Instead, he took the aforementioned drink, set his glass down and sighed quietly.
Nathaniel: "Does it really matter? I know. That should be enough. Cops and counselors..."
He made an expression of utter distaste.
Nathaniel: "One can barely keep order during peaceful times and the others think pills are answers to everything while charging hundreds per session to offer advice even they don't believe."
Taking a moment to breathe and get his irritation, not at her but at the situation, under control, Nathaniel calmly looked to Katarina again.
Nathaniel: "I can do what they can't because my motivation is pure."
Katarina frowns
Katarina: And what are your motivations exactly?
Nathaniel: "Let me see your phone."
He's turned at this point, staring at the door again with a cold expression on his face.
Katarina looks up at him in surprise, a wave of panic passes over her unbidden.
Katarina: I... What? What do you want to see my phone for?
Nathaniel: "So I can see how long Sophia has been listening in on our conversation."
He doesn't have to wait long. The door of the restaurant is flung open and Sophia herself storms over to the table, grabbing Nathaniel by the lapel.
Sophia: "You ain't doin' anything with her, understand me?!"
Katarina looks at her friend in shock
Katarina: Sophia, Calm down... We're in a public place, he can't hurt me here...
Nathaniel: "Guess you're more like your father than you thought."
Sophia's eyes widen, her arm cocking back as if to fetch Nathaniel across the face...but doesn't. Her hand trembles, hanging in mid-air and closing into a fist, then drops as she lets go of him. She takes a seat next to Katarina, glaring at Nathaniel, whose attention is back on Katarina.
Nathaniel: "What exactly was so difficult about meeting me alone to discuss this? What reason have I given for such mistrust?"
Katarina opens her mouth to speak but closes it again.
Katarina: I... You..
She shakes her head, god Katarina, learn to speak, use your words... She sighs
Katarina: To be honest, you haven't DONE anything... But just something about you scares the hell out of me... And for the record, Sophia insisted on being here. She doesn't want to leave me unprotected like... That night...
Nathaniel: "That much, at least, I can understand. However..."
He rises from his seat and places a $20 on the table, presumably to pay for the drinks and all. A few taps to his phone later, he tucks it back in his pocket and turns his attention to Katarina.
Nathaniel: "I can't help you if you don't trust me."
Placing a card on the table next to Katarina's drink, he shoots a hard glare at Sophia, who stares back, before walking out of the restaurant.
****************************************************
When we see Katarina again she's pacing in her dark room. We can make her out in the dim red light that floods over everything. She stops and leans over her developing sink, hands braced on either side of it. Something has her stressed out, and something else us it might not be her opponent, but her opponent may just get an earful. She doesn't get stressed like this often, but when she did... there was hell to pay.
"Oh so of course, Miss Amy Zing is being seen trying to take credit for an injury that happened in a match she wasn't involved in? You know what I really hate? People who work in a place like this and don't pay attention. I saw her injury happen, The crowd saw i happen... Everyone saw it except you? Go back and watch last weeks show Amy, watchit good, cos you will see it was nothing but an unfortunate accident, hell it wasn't even really her opponents fault at all...."
She turns around to the camera.
"But no... you have to make a big deal of apologizing for the slim chance that it could be your fault... Trying to be all big and mighty and steal the glory from someone else. oohh You're a champ, you pinned a woman who had spent the last few weeks distracted and broken, that makes you such a damn big winner right? That you beat Skylar when she wasn't at her best. I guarantee you, if she was at her
best you would have have beat her, and she would be the one standing there with that title..."
Her hands are fists at her sides
"But no... Its you.. The woman who can't even keep track of when she herself debuted let alone know ANYTHING about her opponents... I can tell you for a fact it was 4 months ago you debuted. One month before me... But no... EVen you couldn't know that about yourself now could you Miss Zing?"
She glares at the camera
"You and I have been in this business for about the same time... 3 years... 3 years is long enough to make a name for yourself Zing... if you play the right moves. I mean look at UWA for example, we have people here making waves and the place has only been opened for 9 months. We have men and women here who were fresh and new when this place opened that have blossomed into bigger stars than a lot of them could have hoped in their debut year. Sadly we lost one of them to injury last week. Skylar was building her career, getting her name out there. And all in her debut year."
She looks around the room and shakes her head
"You speak of the irony of you addressing me during a photoshoot... Hell... Wanna talk about irony, I'm addressing you from a freaking dark room, where I ply my craft. Where I master techniques developing my work, much the way I develop my craft in the ring in the room next door to this one, my work out room. Oh the irony that we be addressing each other while we do our work, the stuff we do most days of the week.... Oh hurray for Irony... Next you'll be addressing me in a wrestling ring and saying that ironic too..."
She rests her hands on the sink again, some of her hair escaping her ponytail and hanging around her face.
"Good luck proving how much of a great champion you are when I make you eat those words this week Amy..."
She remains with her head down, looking down at the pool of chemicals before her.
"Frame locked... and loaded... See you there Amy Zing..."
*****************************************************
Scene opens on Katarina O'Hara sitting on the edge of the bed, a small card in her hand, her cellphone sitting on the bed next to her. It had been a strange couple of days, with one person on her mind.
Nathaniel.
Should she call him? Should she not? That was the question plaguing her mind and even after 2 days, she still had to come to a decision. She had already dialed his number once then stopped herself. What was holding her back? The man hadn't hurt her. Only creeped her out. Was that such a big crime really? SHe looks down at her cell before picking it up again, looking at the card again, then to the phone before nodding to herself
She doesn't get the first digit dialed when Sophia appears in the doorway. Doesn't take a rocket surgeon to see what she's think as Katarina's assistant looks from the card to the phone to her face.
Sophia: "Really?"
Katarina looks up at her friend surprised
Katarina: Well yeah... I don't see why not....
Sophia: Don't see why not?! This is the guy you've had nightmares about, who's been showing up at autograph signings and sending 'presents' and basically stalking you left and right!
Okay, she might have been overreacting a bit, but she knew where Katarina had come from.
Katarina: But he hasn't actually hurt me... never laid a hand on me... not once!
Sophia didn't have a response for that. She went in and sat down on the bed near Katarina, staring down at her folded hands.
Sophia: He gives me the willies. I just can't believe that he has any good intentions. I mean, look what he did to Skylar. And even Craven kicking his ass didn't stop him.
Katarina: Thats true... He scared the crap outta Sky too...
Sophia: Just...I don't know...
She gets up and starts to pace.
Katarina: You think I shouldn't ring him then?
Sophia: It's not my life. I can't give you much more reason that I already have not to. I just have a feeling about him...that's all...
Katarina: If I go to him... I'll have to go alone... he wont help me if you come...
Sophia snorted, putting her hands on her hips.
Sophia: Well, of course. Why would he want a voice of reason there?!
Katarina: I can reason with him Soph... I'm not that helpless...
Another deep breath is taken, Sophia rubbing her palms against her cheeks, her fingers into her eyes.
Sophia: I know...but damn it, I worry.
Katarina: I know...
Katarina looks down at the phone again.
Katarina: So you think I shouldn't call him? That this is a really bad idea?
Sitting down again, Sophia takes Kat's hand gently.
Sophia: What do your heart tell you?
Katarina frowns
Katarina: My heart? But he's not declaring his love for me... What does my heart have to do with anything?
Sophia: Your heart isn't just about what others do for you, it's about what you feel is right for yourself.
Katarina: I don't really know what I want Soph... Part of me feels like this is the right thing to do, that he does want to help me, that he doesn't have ulterior motives... The other part is scared and worried this is all some ploy to lure me in like the men who attacked me that night...
She looks up suddenly
Katarina: How does he even know about that?
Sophia: Probably read it in the papers or something...
Katarina: Thats true...
Sophia gets up again, pacing for a moment before turning to Katarina.
Sophia: Do what you think is right. I'll support it...even if I don't like it.
Katarina: I'm gonna call him Soph... I have to, or I'll doubt it forever, I mean what if it does help? it might be my one chance to finally move past my past...
Her assistant nods, lingering in the doorway for a moment before heading down the hall.
Katarina takes a deep breath, hesitation before dialing the number. She looks at the screen for a moment.
Katarina: Come on Kat... You can do this...
She hits call and puts the phone to her ear, her hands trembling slightly, and waits while it rings.
