Post by Craven on Dec 5, 2014 23:50:37 GMT -6
Baking cookies, this was apparently something Skylar Hansen loved to do this time of year and this year was to be no different, giant bulky knee brace or no. As she stands in the kitchen setting her first batch into the oven, Craven walks in and hugs her from behind. Reveling in the feeling and affection, she squeezes his hand before going back to her cookie batter. Craven steps back over to a chair and then nods to the big black brace on her leg as he sits down.
Craven: How's the knee?
Skylar Hansen: Getting there... I almost feel like I could trying to see what I can do in this thing.
Grinning stupidly, Craven looks up into her eyes.
Craven: In what way, milady?
Skylar Hansen: Working again, silly.
He nods, still grinning stupidly.
Craven: How are you gonna test that theory?
Skylar Hansen: Hit the gym again, start training and all.
Craven nods.
Craven: What about the other?
Skylar Hansen: Well...
She looks away.
Skylar Hansen: That one I'm not sure on…
Craven sits back in his chair, staring at her as she leans against the sink.
Craven: Are you worried about something?
Skylar Hansen: Do you want me to go back and do that again? It's good money and all but what do you think of seeing me sell myself that way?
He exhales heavily, having never expected the question to really come up. It was just her job, something he’d worked hard to convince himself was simply a fact of life if he wanted to be here with her. The idea that there could be a choice...
Craven: Do you enjoy it?
She takes a deep breath looking down at her feet.
Skylar Hansen: I never have... it was merely a way to earn money, nothing more, nothing less.
She looks up at him.
Skylar Hansen: The dancing, yes, I can say I enjoy that, but the rest..
She shakes her head.
Skylar Hansen: No... not when I look down at the man, and wish it was you, and feel disgusted at myself for doing that to you... you sit at home knowing I'm sleeping with other men... Basically getting paid to cheat on you several times a night... it makes me sick that I keep doing that to you…
He nods slowly.
Craven: I have to admit, the thought of it being a choice…
Shrugging, he manages to look her in the eye.
Craven: I’d just accepted it was part of the deal. You’d stop if you wanted to…
He starts to say something else but stops himself short.
Skylar Hansen: What is it? What were you going to say?
He leans forward for a second and then looks into her eyes.
Craven: The first time I saw that…
Swallowing hard, he forces himself to maintain eye contact.
Craven: I made a mess of my car, went back up the street and got several bottles of whatever they had and drank myself into a stupor so bad I lost your trail for two weeks. When I found it again, it was in Toronto and I walked in on you…
Skylar closes her eyes, blinking back tears
Skylar Hansen: I'm sorry…
He stands up and takes her into his arms.
Craven: Don’t be… I spent the next year… blaming myself…
Tears start trailing down his face.
Craven: If I had just gotten there faster, or if I’d not let you go home that night…
Skylar Hansen: Don't...
She looks up at him.
Skylar Hansen: Don't blame yourself for this!
Craven nods slowly.
Craven: If you don’t wanna do it anymore, or even if you do for the money, I’ll support you. Whatever you wanna do...
Skylar Hansen: But does it upset you when I do it?
Craven: It used to…
Skylar Hansen: But it doesn’t now? Even though we're together now?
Craven shrugs sadly.
Craven: Compartmentalization…
Skylar looks confused.
Skylar Hansen: What?
Craven: It’s what they call it when you separate things… it means I tend to not think of that job as you, or my girlfriend so much or what the job is…
Skylar Hansen: Do you want me to stop?
Craven swallows hard.
Craven: It’s not up to me…
Skylar Hansen: It’s up to both of us... we are a unit here.
Craven hugs her lovingly.
Craven: I just don’t want you to feel like I’m ordering you or forcing you to do anything. You had that happen too much with…
His jaws clench tightly.
Craven: With... him…
Skylar Hansen: I already said it makes me sick to be doing that, sleeping with other people and all... you're not telling me to do anything I don't tell myself daily…
Craven nods.
Craven: I’ll help smooth it over with Vega, if you want me to.
Skylar smiles.
Skylar Hansen: Ok.
Craven nods and hugs her again.
Craven: Brittany’s gonna worry...
Skylar Hansen: It’s not her choice to make, its mine. She'll accept it. She'll have to…
Craven: I know… but you know her, she’s…
He shakes his head.
Craven: As much as we all like to pretend we’re not, we all may as well still be teenagers, Sky. She’s gonna worry we’re abandoning her because you only wanna dance and Sin only ever danced, especially now that Vega’s talking about expanding into porn. We’re gonna have to do something… to make her see we’re not leaving her to the wolves...
Skylar Hansen: What could we do?
Craven: We just have to try is all.
Skylar Hansen: Ok, we try.
Pulling back ever so slightly, Craven kisses her passionately.
Craven: I love you, Skadi!
Skylar Hansen: I love you too Rick!
A few days later…
Skylar is bustling around the house, trying to get everything ready for their first family Christmas, Craven comes walking back inside from a trip to the Pleasure Dome that had nothing to do with pleasure. Skylar turns to greet him and almost immediately, the smile melts off her face.
Skylar Hansen: What’s wrong?
Craven starts to answer but glances around behind her.
Craven: Are they home?
Skylar shakes her head, suddenly looking even more concerned than she was before.
Skylar Hansen: No… why?
Craven only nods and Skylar looks at him intently, practically begging with her eyes.
Skylar Hansen: Rick… what happened? Is Vega… is he… mad?
Craven swallows hard.
Craven: Oblivion’s back…
Skylar’s knees buckle as she crumples down into the nearest chair, almost missing it on her way down.
Skylar Hansen: Oh my God…
She raises her hands up, folding them as if to pray, resting her elbows on her knees. She leans forward and rests the first few fingers in her mouth as she rocks ever so slightly.
Skylar Hansen: Is… is it my fault? Did I…?
Craven shakes his head.
Craven: No.
She looks up, shock evident on her face.
Skylar Hansen: Then…?
Taking a deep breath, Craven swallows hard again.
Craven: Lacey Roberts.
Skylar can’t believe her ears. Lacey Roberts was the last name she expected to hear had done something like this to hurt the Silver Baron.
Skylar Hansen: But… aren’t they old friends?
Craven nods.
Craven: Yeah…
Confusion replacing worry, Skylar just stares at him.
Skylar Hansen: That doesn’t make any sense! Why would she do that to him?
Craven shrugs.
Craven: I don’t know, I wanna say she’s trying to live up to her nickname somehow but, that’s just a guess. In the meantime, Q’s injury means the PD needs a new temporary security head…
Skylar nods for a second before the words hit her.
Skylar Hansen: You?
Craven nods.
Craven: And Rocket…
She stands up and hugs him happily.
Skylar Hansen: I feel safer already!
Craven smiles and kisses her lovingly.
A few hours later, Craven sits in his car outside the Pleasure Dome, scanning the area for possible problems. As he looks, his cell phone roars to life with a walkie talkie function, Rocket’s voice coming over the speaker.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: So far, so good, Dub.
Craven nods, pressing the talk button.
Craven: Sin make it ok?
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Yeah, she goes on in twenty. Brittany came with her, she’s talking to the scheduler about going back on the dance list soon.
Craven nods, knowing full well that Brittany isn’t really ready to be in front of people again just yet.
Craven: Ok, so far I’ve yet to see anything worth noting. Keeping my eyes open though.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: I haven’t seen much either. Benny had a guy get a little drunk and puke in the east restroom but that’s been it tonight.
Craven nods.
Craven: Keep me posted.
He sets the phone down, the talk button turned off and glances around the parking lot. As he nods slowly, he reaches up and flips on his voice recorder.
Craven: To answer the first question, I have no idea what I’m doing in this match either. I’ve been in the ring with Amy and Lacey but…
Trailing off he sits up, watching a drunken sailor stagger passed the door on his way up the street.
Craven: Not to the point that I can say I feel one way or the other about any of you. Amy seems really, really… REALLY… nice. What can you really say about a woman that always manages to smile, never gives up and has parlayed that into championship gold?
He pauses as another possible irritant starts walking in front of his vehicle.
Craven: Lacey… I don’t understand what your deal is. Sometimes you seem like you’re ready to be a full on bitch, which I could respect immensely, and then five minutes later you’re mitigating it with Vega only now…
He shakes his head as the possible irritant keeps on walking passed the building.
Craven: Why would go and hurt him like you did? Aren’t you supposed to be friends? Didn’t you…
Pausing to measure his words, Craven watches several couples walk into the building.
Craven: You pissed him off, Lacey and I’m not sure that’s such a hot idea. But, you probably already know that and I’d like to think there’s a plan going on so…
He swallows hard, looking around for his box of goodies.
Craven: And Bob… fuck it, you’re just a perverted sonofabitch.
Reaching down for his pill bottle, Craven just shakes his head.
Craven: And looking at Lacey, a dumbass one too.
He gets out a pill and pops it into his mouth.
Craven: She’s playing you like a virtuoso and you’re either too stupid to notice or too blinded by the light of her beauty to care. I can understand that because, yes, people told me the same thing about Skylar but Skylar never tried to get me to do anything. She was always just running away. Lacey…
He fires down a second pill and shakes his head again.
Craven: You’re playing with fire, Bob. That one is gonna burn you so bad, it’s not even funny and no, I’m not gonna laugh anyway. Get out while you can, Bob. Take your pictures and be happy with that because eventually, she’s gonna get tired of playing with you and when that happens…
He shakes his head as the pills go down.
Craven: I have no idea what I’m doing in this match either, but here goes nothing!
Craven: How's the knee?
Skylar Hansen: Getting there... I almost feel like I could trying to see what I can do in this thing.
Grinning stupidly, Craven looks up into her eyes.
Craven: In what way, milady?
Skylar Hansen: Working again, silly.
He nods, still grinning stupidly.
Craven: How are you gonna test that theory?
Skylar Hansen: Hit the gym again, start training and all.
Craven nods.
Craven: What about the other?
Skylar Hansen: Well...
She looks away.
Skylar Hansen: That one I'm not sure on…
Craven sits back in his chair, staring at her as she leans against the sink.
Craven: Are you worried about something?
Skylar Hansen: Do you want me to go back and do that again? It's good money and all but what do you think of seeing me sell myself that way?
He exhales heavily, having never expected the question to really come up. It was just her job, something he’d worked hard to convince himself was simply a fact of life if he wanted to be here with her. The idea that there could be a choice...
Craven: Do you enjoy it?
She takes a deep breath looking down at her feet.
Skylar Hansen: I never have... it was merely a way to earn money, nothing more, nothing less.
She looks up at him.
Skylar Hansen: The dancing, yes, I can say I enjoy that, but the rest..
She shakes her head.
Skylar Hansen: No... not when I look down at the man, and wish it was you, and feel disgusted at myself for doing that to you... you sit at home knowing I'm sleeping with other men... Basically getting paid to cheat on you several times a night... it makes me sick that I keep doing that to you…
He nods slowly.
Craven: I have to admit, the thought of it being a choice…
Shrugging, he manages to look her in the eye.
Craven: I’d just accepted it was part of the deal. You’d stop if you wanted to…
He starts to say something else but stops himself short.
Skylar Hansen: What is it? What were you going to say?
He leans forward for a second and then looks into her eyes.
Craven: The first time I saw that…
Swallowing hard, he forces himself to maintain eye contact.
Craven: I made a mess of my car, went back up the street and got several bottles of whatever they had and drank myself into a stupor so bad I lost your trail for two weeks. When I found it again, it was in Toronto and I walked in on you…
Skylar closes her eyes, blinking back tears
Skylar Hansen: I'm sorry…
He stands up and takes her into his arms.
Craven: Don’t be… I spent the next year… blaming myself…
Tears start trailing down his face.
Craven: If I had just gotten there faster, or if I’d not let you go home that night…
Skylar Hansen: Don't...
She looks up at him.
Skylar Hansen: Don't blame yourself for this!
Craven nods slowly.
Craven: If you don’t wanna do it anymore, or even if you do for the money, I’ll support you. Whatever you wanna do...
Skylar Hansen: But does it upset you when I do it?
Craven: It used to…
Skylar Hansen: But it doesn’t now? Even though we're together now?
Craven shrugs sadly.
Craven: Compartmentalization…
Skylar looks confused.
Skylar Hansen: What?
Craven: It’s what they call it when you separate things… it means I tend to not think of that job as you, or my girlfriend so much or what the job is…
Skylar Hansen: Do you want me to stop?
Craven swallows hard.
Craven: It’s not up to me…
Skylar Hansen: It’s up to both of us... we are a unit here.
Craven hugs her lovingly.
Craven: I just don’t want you to feel like I’m ordering you or forcing you to do anything. You had that happen too much with…
His jaws clench tightly.
Craven: With... him…
Skylar Hansen: I already said it makes me sick to be doing that, sleeping with other people and all... you're not telling me to do anything I don't tell myself daily…
Craven nods.
Craven: I’ll help smooth it over with Vega, if you want me to.
Skylar smiles.
Skylar Hansen: Ok.
Craven nods and hugs her again.
Craven: Brittany’s gonna worry...
Skylar Hansen: It’s not her choice to make, its mine. She'll accept it. She'll have to…
Craven: I know… but you know her, she’s…
He shakes his head.
Craven: As much as we all like to pretend we’re not, we all may as well still be teenagers, Sky. She’s gonna worry we’re abandoning her because you only wanna dance and Sin only ever danced, especially now that Vega’s talking about expanding into porn. We’re gonna have to do something… to make her see we’re not leaving her to the wolves...
Skylar Hansen: What could we do?
Craven: We just have to try is all.
Skylar Hansen: Ok, we try.
Pulling back ever so slightly, Craven kisses her passionately.
Craven: I love you, Skadi!
Skylar Hansen: I love you too Rick!
A few days later…
Skylar is bustling around the house, trying to get everything ready for their first family Christmas, Craven comes walking back inside from a trip to the Pleasure Dome that had nothing to do with pleasure. Skylar turns to greet him and almost immediately, the smile melts off her face.
Skylar Hansen: What’s wrong?
Craven starts to answer but glances around behind her.
Craven: Are they home?
Skylar shakes her head, suddenly looking even more concerned than she was before.
Skylar Hansen: No… why?
Craven only nods and Skylar looks at him intently, practically begging with her eyes.
Skylar Hansen: Rick… what happened? Is Vega… is he… mad?
Craven swallows hard.
Craven: Oblivion’s back…
Skylar’s knees buckle as she crumples down into the nearest chair, almost missing it on her way down.
Skylar Hansen: Oh my God…
She raises her hands up, folding them as if to pray, resting her elbows on her knees. She leans forward and rests the first few fingers in her mouth as she rocks ever so slightly.
Skylar Hansen: Is… is it my fault? Did I…?
Craven shakes his head.
Craven: No.
She looks up, shock evident on her face.
Skylar Hansen: Then…?
Taking a deep breath, Craven swallows hard again.
Craven: Lacey Roberts.
Skylar can’t believe her ears. Lacey Roberts was the last name she expected to hear had done something like this to hurt the Silver Baron.
Skylar Hansen: But… aren’t they old friends?
Craven nods.
Craven: Yeah…
Confusion replacing worry, Skylar just stares at him.
Skylar Hansen: That doesn’t make any sense! Why would she do that to him?
Craven shrugs.
Craven: I don’t know, I wanna say she’s trying to live up to her nickname somehow but, that’s just a guess. In the meantime, Q’s injury means the PD needs a new temporary security head…
Skylar nods for a second before the words hit her.
Skylar Hansen: You?
Craven nods.
Craven: And Rocket…
She stands up and hugs him happily.
Skylar Hansen: I feel safer already!
Craven smiles and kisses her lovingly.
A few hours later, Craven sits in his car outside the Pleasure Dome, scanning the area for possible problems. As he looks, his cell phone roars to life with a walkie talkie function, Rocket’s voice coming over the speaker.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: So far, so good, Dub.
Craven nods, pressing the talk button.
Craven: Sin make it ok?
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: Yeah, she goes on in twenty. Brittany came with her, she’s talking to the scheduler about going back on the dance list soon.
Craven nods, knowing full well that Brittany isn’t really ready to be in front of people again just yet.
Craven: Ok, so far I’ve yet to see anything worth noting. Keeping my eyes open though.
Merlyn "Rocket" Harper: I haven’t seen much either. Benny had a guy get a little drunk and puke in the east restroom but that’s been it tonight.
Craven nods.
Craven: Keep me posted.
He sets the phone down, the talk button turned off and glances around the parking lot. As he nods slowly, he reaches up and flips on his voice recorder.
Craven: To answer the first question, I have no idea what I’m doing in this match either. I’ve been in the ring with Amy and Lacey but…
Trailing off he sits up, watching a drunken sailor stagger passed the door on his way up the street.
Craven: Not to the point that I can say I feel one way or the other about any of you. Amy seems really, really… REALLY… nice. What can you really say about a woman that always manages to smile, never gives up and has parlayed that into championship gold?
He pauses as another possible irritant starts walking in front of his vehicle.
Craven: Lacey… I don’t understand what your deal is. Sometimes you seem like you’re ready to be a full on bitch, which I could respect immensely, and then five minutes later you’re mitigating it with Vega only now…
He shakes his head as the possible irritant keeps on walking passed the building.
Craven: Why would go and hurt him like you did? Aren’t you supposed to be friends? Didn’t you…
Pausing to measure his words, Craven watches several couples walk into the building.
Craven: You pissed him off, Lacey and I’m not sure that’s such a hot idea. But, you probably already know that and I’d like to think there’s a plan going on so…
He swallows hard, looking around for his box of goodies.
Craven: And Bob… fuck it, you’re just a perverted sonofabitch.
Reaching down for his pill bottle, Craven just shakes his head.
Craven: And looking at Lacey, a dumbass one too.
He gets out a pill and pops it into his mouth.
Craven: She’s playing you like a virtuoso and you’re either too stupid to notice or too blinded by the light of her beauty to care. I can understand that because, yes, people told me the same thing about Skylar but Skylar never tried to get me to do anything. She was always just running away. Lacey…
He fires down a second pill and shakes his head again.
Craven: You’re playing with fire, Bob. That one is gonna burn you so bad, it’s not even funny and no, I’m not gonna laugh anyway. Get out while you can, Bob. Take your pictures and be happy with that because eventually, she’s gonna get tired of playing with you and when that happens…
He shakes his head as the pills go down.
Craven: I have no idea what I’m doing in this match either, but here goes nothing!
