A bit of activism - Printable Version +- X-treme Wrestling Federation (https://xwf99.com) +-- Forum: Shove-It! Boards (https://xwf99.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=119) +--- Forum: Shove-It! RP Board (https://xwf99.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=95) +--- Thread: A bit of activism (/showthread.php?tid=40664)

A bit of activism - Ruby - 04-30-2021 Ruby was snacking on a square donut as she and Centurion walked towards their hotel. She was holding his hand, a sign of public affection that Ruby more often than not insisted on. Centurion had felt a bit awkward when their relationship first started, but he’d gotten used to all of the hand-holding by now. In the end, it was a small price to pay. Centy looked over at Ruby, who had powder sugar all over her nose. Centurion: “I know we’re in Ottawa, and I appreciate you trying to carry the spirit of Chicago with you, but that doesn’t mean you have to dress up like a coke addict, babe.” Ruby: “Say what, my mans?” Centurion grinned, and wiped her nose with the sleeve of a suit that was way too expensive for such a task. Ruby: “Whoops. Sorry about that. I’m still a bit distracted from last night.” Centurion: “Yeah, you really weren’t happy with the Denver draft pick, were you?” Ruby shrugged. Ruby: “I just don’t get it! But I’ll get over it. I’m used to having to get over things by now. One could even say I’m an expert.” Centurion cast his eyes downward for a second, almost as if he was disappointed he couldn’t do more. Ruby picked up on this immediately. She knew that letting her down was one of the few worries her boyfriend still allowed himself to feel. She immediately tightened the grip on his hand. Ruby: “Of course, football, wrestling, all of that is irrelevant when I’ve got the most dashing paragon in the entire multiverse holding hands with me.” She playfully fluttered her eyelids and Centurion smirked. Ruby: “Who, by the way, is infinitely better looking than James Raven!” Centurion: “You don’t have to tack that on so explicitly, babe, but still… You’re goddamn righ-ow!” Ruby: “Language!” She softly punched him on the tricep with her free hand, leaving a trail of powder sugar on his suit. Centurion: “I just had that dry-cleaned!” Ruby: “That’ll teach you for being a potty mouth.” Centurion: “Unfortunately, these extra dry cleaning costs mean we won’t be able to afford that disco ball in the living room.” Ruby: “Ohhh, now you’re playing hardball!” Centurion: “A guy has to draw a line in the sand!” Ruby: “But do you have to draw it at disco ball?” Ruby liked their playful bickering. Her boyfriend’s detractors liked nothing more than to call him old and boring, but Ruby actually loved that he was old school. To an outsider’s eye they were an odd pairing, for sure. A geeky 30 year old womanchild that loved to dress up as a vigilante and go out at night to beat up petty criminals hardly seemed a fitting match for a guy like THE Centurion. But Centurion, in her eyes, represented order. Ruby loved order. He represented the status quo. Ruby loved herself a status quo. He represented stability. Ruby loved stability. He represented the possibility to learn from your mistakes and grow as a person. Bingo. Centurion really was her ideal partner, both out of the ring, and inside of it. And even though they had come up short against Cataclysm together, she had a feeling they had a legitimate chance against Tee-Knucks and Bobby Bourbs. Their opponents had had plenty to say about them, as was to be expected. Most of it had been an amalgam of weird insults and nonsensical arguments. They had blamed Centurion for not stepping up after his Universal Championship defeat, and had the audacity to point at themselves as paragons of virtue and valor because they won the tag team championships after losing out on their first try. Of course, they completely ignored that that was exactly what Centrubion was trying to do right now. But narratives always changed to fit agendas. That was just part of the game. Didn’t mean she had to like it, though. Ruby: “Fair warning though, if we win I WILL be using my winner’s purse on a disco ball.” Centurion: “No interior decorator is ever going to want to work for me again.” Ruby: “Don’t worry, I’ll get a remote controlled retractable one. Of course that means you’d have to buy the apartment above us first.” Centurion: “I can’t believe I’m actually considering saying ‘okay, let’s do it’.” Ruby: “It’s cause you lurvz me.” She gave Centurion a quick smooch. He returned one, they lingered, aaaaand… Ruby noticed something from the corner of her eye. Ruby: “Hey, what’s going on over there?” She pointed towards a group of people huddled together near a park. There were a few police cars as well, and a bulldozer parked to the side. Centurion: “I don’t know, but shall we continue this in our hotel ro-…” Ruby: “Let’s go check out what’s up!” She grabbed Centurion’s hand again and dragged him over, not realizing the disappointment in his eyes. Using her elbows, she managed to work her way to the front of the crowd, and to her surprise, she saw an old half-naked hippie in a self-made rickety tree hut, handcuffed to one of the branches. The words ‘SAVE THE THREES’, yes threes instead of trees, were splattered across his chest in dripping crimson paint. Centurion: “Look at that. A good old-fashioned tree hugger.” Republican Bystander: “You mean enviro-terrorist!” Centurion clenched his fists, inadvertently squeezing Ruby’s fingers. Ruby: “Ease up babe, suppress your inner SuperCent for a bit, there’s Five-O around and they’re kind of obligated to respect that buffoon’s freedom of speech and defend it, no matter how ignorant it is.” Instead, Ruby motioned over a police officer. Ruby: “Excuse me, officer, what’s going on here?” Officer: “Well, madame, this little park was scheduled to be demolished, but unfortunately we have an elderly gent up there who can’t abide by the decisions of a democratically elected city government.” Ruby: “That seems a bit… black-and-white.” Centurion: “Usually the truth is a bit more banana-lime, right?” Ruby: “True that, my mans!” At that point, the hippie grabbed a megaphone with his free hand. Hippie: “People of Ottawa! Hear me! Your government has lied to you! It demanded this park be demolished because these trees are sick, but I know the truth! They were POISONED! Our mayor wants to use this space to place a new parking lot, sacrificing the planet’s lungs so he has a place to park his new Corvette!” Ruby: “Whoa! Big if true. Do you think it is?” Centurion: “Wouldn’t be the first time something like this happens. And it won’t be the last, either.” Ruby saw the passionate fire in the hippie’s eyes. It was something she recognized all too well, because she had seen it before. In the mirror. Every time before she went on patrol to clean the streets. She felt a powerful surge of righteousness well up. Reaching into her back pocket, she retrieved her mask and snapped it into place. Centurion heard the snap, and looked over. Centurion: “What are y-? Oh.” Ruby: “SAVE THE TREES! GO TREES!” Ruby ran over towards the park, and Centurion’s shoulders slumped. Centurion: “Sigh. Not again…” With the speed, grace and litheness of a cat, Ruby climbed up the hippie’s tree before anyone, including the police officers, could stop her. The old hippie was too surprised to react and she snagged the megaphone from his hand. Ruby: “Alrighty-roo, my people, listen up! We’re going to save this park! Everybody, flood city council with your demands right NOW! We’re not leaving before we save this flippin’ tree!” Centurion casually walked over with his hands in his suit pants. He stopped at the base of the tree and looked up. Centurion: “Babe? I don’t want to ruin your activism or anything, but we have a plane to catch in about three hours.” Ruby: “…tell Osira I said hi, and everything. I’m sure she’ll do fine without my support. And Raven will understand.” Centurion: “Okay, just… Save this park before Mayday, okay?” Ruby: “You got it, my guy. Bourbs and Knucks are pretty much dead Bobbies walking. Figuratively speaking, of course.” Centurion knew he wasn’t going to get her to come down and wandered off, leaving Ruby ‘alone’ with the hippie(and the crowd down below who were wondering what the heck was going on here). Ruby turned towards her fellow eco-warrior. Ruby: “Sup dude, nice to see you take a stand! We need more folks like you these days. There’s a lot of injustice out there in this world today, and we can’t be everywhere at the same time, fighting every crook in every nook and cranny, but we CAN save this tree!” The old man smiled, and offered her a pair of handcuffs. Hippie: “Nice to see young people like yourself take an interest in the wellbeing of our planet. Feel like chaining yourself?” Ruby: “Errrr, maybe later? I’m kind of worried about what’ll happen if I need to tinkle.” The hippie snapped his fingers and rummaged through a worn backpack, retrieving… Hippie: “Adult diapers! You can have one if you want. I’m always prepared. Don’t worry, they’re washable, not those throwaway versions that just add to the plastic soup.” Ruby: “Let’s just wait and see what happens, for now.” Hippie: “Suits me. As long as we’re up here they can’t bulldoze this park anyway. I’ve been doing this for over forty years, I know how this works. Coffee?” Ruby: “Yeah sure, why not.” He poured some steaming coffee from a thermos can into a biodegradable cup and handed it over to the Banana-Lime Blur. She took a careful sip. It tasted off, but she didn’t want to be rude. Ruby: “Tastes like a … special… blend.” Hippie: “Made from mushrooms that I grow myself! Classic coffee is big business, you wouldn’t believe how many grams of CO2 every cup of Starbucks emits!” He saw the look of worry on her face. Hippie: “Don’t worry, not THOSE kind of mushrooms, I gave up on hallucinogens in the eighties.” Ruby smiled. He was quite the figure, but at least he was standing up for something he believed in. Ruby: “Good, because my motto is to say NO to drugs! Anyway, over forty flippin’ years eh? Save many trees and parks during that time?” Hippie: “A few. Not many. It usually ends with a bunch of guys climbing up here and beating me up or throwing me out when there are no cameras around.” Ruby: “Wait… Then why are you still doing this?” Hippie: “Because… People think I’m insane, but I’d rather break a few bones whilst taking a stand than rolling over, accepting defeat and let the bad guys run the show, you know?” Ruby: “I… I think I know exactly what you mean, dude.” Hippie: “That’s nice to hear! I don’t meet many kindred spirits. May I just ask, what’s the mask about?” Ruby: “My mask? It’s my symbol. When I put it on, I feel like I have the power to change the world for the better.” Hippie: “Ah. I know the feeling. Like when I put on one of my adult diapers and handcuff myself to a branch.” Ruby: “Yes, well, no. I don’t really think that’s an appropriate comparison, but anyway… It gives me strength, and while I have a lot of people looking out for me, putting on this mask has been the best decision of my life. It’s allowed me to overcome adversity and allow me to fight and win battles that a girl of my size and stature should never be able to win. I’ve brought down giants and madmen. Fended off supervillains and slime spitting booger monsters. Greek goddesses and albino megalomaniacs. But it doesn’t matter what you did in the past. You’re only as successful as your next victory. And I’ve got a big, big fight ahead of me.” Hippie: “Well, you seem like a plucky firecracker, I’ll give you that. So what’s bothering you?” Ruby: “I’m a wrestler. I entertain the masses. But I also try to set a good example for them, by staying true to my righteous beliefs and showing them that taking the high path can be difficult but also rewarding. And for the last few… well, months really… I’ve had to face an entire group almost entirely by myself. The Brotherhood of Baddies, they call themselves. Corny, right? But this time, my boyfriend and I have to face two guys who have every right to call themselves the best team in our company today. Fair is fair, right? They hold the tag team titles. For now. But let’s just say that these guys aren’t exactly the type of people you’d want your kids to have a poster of on their bedroom walls. They’re rude, boorish, and don’t have an ounce of grace, dignity or humility in their entire bodies. I think they’d even agree and take it as a compliment! “But they have strength in numbers, and they know it. They bully others into submission through sheer force of multitude and mock and disgrace those who refuse to step into the line that they have laid out in front of them. Meanwhile, they have the flippin' AUDACITY to ask the question: "What have you ever done to stop us?" Gee whiz, my guys, I don't know... Except for being a three-time Anarchy Champion and stop you from gaining foothold on the XWF's A+ show? Sure, Miss Fury’s post-match attacks on me make it seem like the Brotherhood of Baddies can stake a claim to relevance, but let’s not kid ourselves… The one title reign she had lasted about as long as a Thunder Five Knuckle Shuffle. Speaking of which, these dudes are up there defending their tag team titles, and hearing them talk, they still seem to be mostly preoccupied with trying to soften me up for their faction leader. Not sure if that’s strategy, or just acknowledgment that she can’t get the job done by herself… In which case, why even follow her? Miss Fury’s failures make me ask the same questions Epicurus asked about God. But I’m not omnipotent or omniscient, just a girl trying to do some good in this world, you know? Easier said than done, but that has never stopped me from trying. And it never will. Uphill battles are usually the ones worth fighting the most. I mean, look at you, my dude. The entire city council is coming down on you with bulldozers and heavy machinery, but here you sit and here you stand, willing to take a big fat L if need be, because you stood up for what you believe is right. Some will call it foolish or foolhardy, I call it brave and selfless. Fist bump!” Ruby held out a green gloved fist, and the hippie put down his cup of coffee and returned it. The Super Dear’O sat herself down next to him. Down below, the police were setting a perimeter and turning people away. Hippie: “Any minute now.” Ruby: “Any minute until what?” Hippie: “Until they send their guys up here. I’ve seen it happen too many times before. They swarm us, beat me up, drive me off and leave me in a ditch somewhere. And then I get up and do it all over again.” Ruby: “But… No! Not this time! We can stop them!” The man chuckled. Hippie: “I admire your spirit, but let’s be realistic here. This is a battle that can’t be won. It’s the police, girl. You’ll only get yourself in trouble, and that respectable gentleman you were with, your boyfriend I presume, wouldn’t want you to either get hurt, or get yourself into trouble. You should go. I’ll stay here, and take the L. I can bear it. But you, you need to live to fight another day. I’ve made peace with my fate. I will fight, only to lose and get back up again, time after time. But you… You still have a future. You and your man can take those tag team championships. Don’t sacrifice all of that for an old fool’s hopeless quest. Show the world what you can do. Show them what kindness, compassion and love can accomplish. Don’t waste it all up here in this tree.” Ruby pondered his words. He was right, but it felt wrong. Ruby: “I’d feel guilty for just leaving you here.” Hippie: “You’d be doing me a favor. It’ll do me good to know that there are others like me out there, fighting the battles worth fighting. Now go.” Ruby sighed. And then she nodded. A little while later, Ruby walked into her airport, wheeling her luggage behind her. It didn’t take her long to find Centurion, who was waiting to board in first class. Ruby: “Sup?” He looked up and his eyes brightened immediately at the sight of her. Centurion: “Babe! Didn’t expect to see you so soon. Did you save the park already?” Ruby: “…no.” Centurion: “…oh.” Her rather dejected tone created a bit of an awkward silence. Centurion didn’t know what to say, so he just put an arm around her. It was exactly what she needed, and she leaned fully into his embrace. Ruby: “Just promise me we’ll win those tag team championships, okay?” Centurion: “Obv-…” Ruby: “No, no, say it properly.” Centurion: “Babe, I promise you… At Mayday, Them No Good Bastards will meet their… FINAL FANTASY!” Centurion’s words rekindled Ruby’s spirit. She believed him. She believed in herself. She believed in the both of them. And she believed that the coming battle was one she couldn’t afford to lose.