Continued from Solace Choice Part 1

(OOC: Quick recap so you don't have to go back and read the first part. At eight years old, Solace was forced to choose which parent she would live with primarily when her parents got divorced. She felt a stronger connection with her father, but the fear of her mother made a knee-jerk reaction that she has lived to regret. The difficulty of their split is that both parents are influential and powerful in their own right, causing a power-struggle in their relationship that ultimately leads to their dysfunction and marital destruction. Solace was stuck in the middle. This RP begins in the aftermath of her poor decision. Good luck to everyone in the MM tournament!!!)

It was the hardest choice Solace had made in the eight years of her existence, and after months had passed since choosing to live with her mother over her father, she was depressed wishing she had made a different choice. This was because her mother was a vindictive and merciless woman of authority that lacked even the minimal amount of empathy a person could have. It was something she knew before she made the worst choice in her life and she paid for it daily.

At eight years old, she was aware that something wasn't normal about the way her mother would treat people, and not even she was immune to the unforgiving wrath of her controlling nature. In more times than she could count, an innocent cry for affection would be met with a rolling of the eyes, a scoff, sometimes even a good verbal lashing about "needing to stop acting like a child one of these days." Even Solace knew that it was normal for girls her age to require the nurturing only a mother could provide, and yet, all of her most compassionate and warm memories were of her father filling that void.

She made her decision, and although she hated herself for it, she would honor her choice by being the best daughter she could be. There were times that she would hold the Unicorn her daddy got her a bit tighter than usual, her eyes closed, pretending it was her father she was hugging. Other times, she would draw and color a picture of how things were in the beginning, a little Solace and at her left and right, Mommy and Daddy. A perfect family... and when she proudly presented this artwork to her mother risking a lashing when she turned into the kitchen and saw she was on a phone call.

Mother: The Gala better be as nice as last year! I might not even come home until the next day! Oh, yes, sweetie?

Solace holds up the picture quietly.

Mother: Wow! Did you draw that? Kat, I have to go. I will see you tonight at the Gala. Alright. Ta-ta.

Solace smiled at her mother's sudden affectionate response, she nodded proudly with a glowing face as her Mother leaned down to her knee.

Mother: Let me see what you did here...

Solace handed her the picture and watched her mother's eyes move up and down with her own smile.

Mother: This is very nice, Solace! Oh, but you know what... let me just fix one little thing...

Solace: Okay, Mommy...

Mother: We just have to alter one little bit here...

Her mother gently began to peel from the top of the page and down until the drawing of her father was severed from the rest of the image. Solace's smile fell as she ripped it from the Solace depicted as a happy daughter of two parents, and once again, reminded of her loss.

Mother: Now, it's perfect! Let's put it on the fridge, shall we?

Her mother stood back up with the picture and crumpled up her father's drawing, tossing it into the wastebasket in the kitchen. Solace watches it hit the edge and fall in, continuing to stare at it instead of her mother supporting her side of the paper with a magnet.

Mother: Perfect. Just like you.

She boops Solace on the nose as Solace fights the urge to cry. As her mother walks out of the kitchen, Solace cautiously reaches into the trashcan and retrieves the crumpled ball of her father's image. She unfolds it and sees that her father's image has become warped and wrinkled... a reminder of how torn up he must have felt when Solace chose her mother over him back in that courtroom.

Her mother departed that night, leaving Solace to the whims of Nancy, a trusted babysitter that would make sure she got to bed on time, but beyond that, would spend her time drinking the expensive wine her mother makes available for all of the help. It was a lonely life for Solace, sometimes, she thought she could talk to her pink unicorn, Frankie, and her father might hear her.

While her mother was at a Gala with her business associates, Solace was put to bed before dark so Nancy would get started on the free wine. Solace didn't mind though, she was free to spend her night however she chose, so long as she stayed out of Nancy's sight.

She did find herself bored after a while, tired of reading the Wonder Woman books her mother had forced her to memorize. She told Solace that "Wonder Woman was a lady of power like her Mommy" and she should be modeling herself off of those kinds of women. Solace agreed to a point, but found Wonder Woman to be too ridiculous to take seriously. Invisible jet... but we can still see her, she thought.

In this particular issue, Wonder Woman was attacked by Osira as she attempted to force the world to be peaceful against their own will. She found this issue to be a bit less interesting than the others, most likely because this Osira character was bland, boring, and almost put Solace to sleep after the first few pages of her story. She barely finished the story before the night had fully fallen and she found herself dozing off by the end of it.

She just began to sleep when she was startled awake by a deep vibration outside. She woke up fearing that the house was crumbling to the lawn before being startled again by a blinding light beaming into her room through the window. With Osira in her mind, she immediately thought she was being abducted by an alien spacecraft and froze in place as her fight or flight made the choice for her.

Solace stood back as far as she could to shield her eyes from the penetrating white light when the light began to break up. She looked while she could and saw a shadow of a man coming to form and panic entered her mind.

Solace: Help!!

She held Frankie the Unicorn tightly as her window began to open. Solace wanted to scream but she couldn't seem to breathe and as the window lifted, her heart nearly stopped as a dark-dressed man stuck his foot in, followed by his masked head.

Man: Solace! Don't be afraid!

Solace begins to shriek in terror and the man quickly peels his mask from over his head to reveal himself.

Solace: Daddy?

Daddy: Yes, baby. Come on!

Solace doesn't hesitate to move towards her father, climbing into his arms as he begins to carry her out of the window, but before he can.

Solace: Frankie!

Daddy: What?

Solace: My unicorn!

Daddy: Hurry up, go grab it. We don't have much time!

He allows her back into the room to grab her stuffed animal and she makes it quick, returning to his arms again once she has it.

Solace: I missed you...

Daddy: I missed you too baby. I'm going to get you out of here. Are you ready?

Solace: Where will we go?

Daddy: Somewhere far, far from here...

On her father is a harness that supports his weight as a wire lifts him and her up to a hovering helicopter. Solace is terrified, but in her Daddy's arms, she knows she is safe. They successfully enter the chopper and he immediately buckles her up.

Daddy: Go!

The operator makes the helicopter jerk sideways and then they are off. Solace, with Frankie in her arms, watches her mother's large estate shrink in the distance as they leave into the darkness of night. She feels a sense of relief all while experiencing the fear of her mother's retaliation.

She looks to her father who is already looking at her. It's far too loud to speak to each other, but their mutual smiles speak louder than any words ever could, the bond between a father and daughter is unbreakable.

They arrive at a small runway, unlit, and seemingly in the middle of nowhere. As they unbuckle themselves, the propellers begin to slow down.

Solace: Are we here?

Daddy: Only making a quick stop. We have to take a plane from here to get where we are going. Let's go.

Operator: Hold up...

Daddy: What's the problem?

Operator: Radar picking up activity right outside of the landing zone. Multiple vehicles.

Daddy: Shit! How did they find us!?

Operator: Not sure, is she chipped?

Daddy: Did your mother have you chipped?

Solace: What? What's that?

Operator: What about the stuffed animal? We have to open it up.

Solace: Frankie! (Solace grabs it tight to protect it.)

Daddy: Baby, I am sorry. I just have to make sure Frankie is safe to come with us. Is that okay?

Solace: I guess so...

She hands Frankie over to her father.

Daddy: Now, I'm going to have to open Frankie up okay? I promise we'll get him fixed.

Solace: But Daddy...

Daddy: Sol, trust me...

Solace nods, refusing to watch as her father begins to rip open Frankie's neck to stick his hand in. He moves it around feeling for anything that shouldn't be there when he finds exactly what he is looking for.

Daddy: It's in here.

Operator: In a little girl's animal? Is she sick?

Daddy: To say the least...

Her father tries to pull it out but it is tangled inside, unable to be removed without compromising the rest of the stuffed animal.

Operator: We got headlights!

TO BE CONTINUED...

---

The camera begins to record a video message from Solace Tatum to address the XWF as March Madness quickly approaches.

Solace: Happy Wednesday! You know me by now, I'm sure... so let me cut right to the chase because I have a lot on my mind. First of all, I know I haven't had the chance to say it, but I want to thank Theo Pryce and Vinnie Lane for signing me to the XWF. There weren't many other places I was considering and they sold me on the fact that the XWF was a reputable company that pledged a professional environment and endless possibilities. I do admit, it sounded too good to be true as anything else, but I decided that if they'll have me, I would gladly move to the United States and give it my all.

I debuted on Anarchy only a few weeks ago and to think I am in the Elite 8 of the March Madness III tournament is almost too much to take in; I am baffled! What an honor it is to be a part of this tournament and as a newcomer, I truly feel blessed to be given this opportunity. Talk about endless possibilities, they were right on the money...

And speaking of money, not only will I be competing for the Queen of the XWF title, on the very same night, I will be receiving my very first XWF title shot: The Billion Dollar Championship. This night is going to be so exciting for so many different reasons, it's almost magical... but I learned a long time ago that fairy tales aren't real and despite my sunny disposition, a happy ending isn't guaranteed in this life. I'm not talking about losing a match, a title shot, or a tournament. I'm talking about this trend that seems to be the belief that I am some kind of naive little girl who is in over her head.

I've heard a few say it now, and truthfully, it doesn't really bother me because all it says is, they have no idea who I am, what I've been through, or what I'm capable of. It's clear they haven't bothered to pay attention so far, and I guess on average, why would they? How many other newcomers came in as strong as I have? How many other newcomers made it this far into a March Madness tournament before fizzling out? How many Billion Dollar Titles has Oswald put on the table and lost? You can count my loss against him on Anarchy, but it was nothing he did right... it was just what I did wrong. It won't happen again.

I can understand how some of you might think my failure spawned from choosing to have honor against a man with little integrity, but if I have to lose a thousand times to a cheap opponent, I will... but I won't ever stop. So I choose modesty over arrogance. I know that puts people like Shawn Warstein on the opposite side of the spectrum than me and that'll make it easier to challenge his legacy. In more ways than one, actually... because even if he fails, it seems I will still have to deal with the legacy one way or another. I've read his stats, but as soon as he opens his mouth it's clear that he's his own biggest fan and that's including his own girlfriend.

This brings me to Atara Themis. Look, I have no siblings, but I imagine having to compete against my sister might cause some tension in the family. It's also fair to mention that maybe this isn't an issue for Atara and Osira because career-wise, it's obvious which sister is the more superior and successful sister. I'm not a mean girl so I won't say who. Truthfully speaking, I would also imagine an Osira versus Atara match would be pretty epic, although, not a fan of either. I am much more interested in seeing who wears the pants between Atara and Shawn, a lover's quarrel if you will. Talk about having a history... based on my research, this isn't the first time they met in this fashion... and I'd bet that their relationship will be just fine after Atara wins. Speaking of Legacy. Shout out to Betsy Granger. Actually, I don't have too many negative things to say about Betsy. She is a proven superstar, er... shooting star! I mean, she is the best of the best right now in the XWF female division. How can anyone deny her skills? And, like me, she is not an asshole when it comes to racking up wins the right way. I would like to see her get far in this tournament, and if I manage to succeed myself, I would be honored to step into the ring with her. Respect is respect... but no matter how awesome I think Betsy is, if we do meet at March Madness, i'm going to beat her from one dimension to the next. Sorry, but this is the job. I have a job to do... and if you're the task at hand, I'll do everything I can to complete it.

I feel like Keiran and I are kind of in the same boat here. Both up against high-caliber opponents, and our main difference seems to be the probability of our paths going forward. On one hand, I have enough motivation to see Miss Fury through, but even if Overton shares that same ambitious vigor, Doc might be too much for him to handle. I think it's also fair to assume Doc will have a good shot at getting to the finals. It's something that the other seven competitors should take very, very seriously. I know I am. Sorry, Overton.
And of course, I have saved the first for last, Miss Fury. I would consider my opinion of Betsy the opposite of my opinion of you. A woman who prides herself on making the world a worse place, a melodramatic cult member that forces her will on vulnerable victims, a corny chick in a cat costume that I seem to cringe at every other Thursday night.
And maybe you aren't a total nut living in a fantasy world, but after having the displeasure of dealing with Oswald, I can only assume you are just as deranged, if not more so. I am going to bring it all to the table on the 28th, and I swear to the great lord above, I better not hear you utter the words "Join B.o.B" not even once because I'm sick to death of hearing it already.

I came here to compete, build a career, and avoid the petty drama but I can see now, that is impossible. Big Money Oswald has made that impossible. Miss Fury has made that impossible. Due to my association with Sarah Lacklan, and my personal issues with Oswald, it seems I am positioned against the B.o.B. by default.

I've been in the circuits overseas and there were cheaters and low-lives but this is different. There are some really dark-natured people all up in this place, and at first, I thought it was just for show- but I can tell you now that it is very real. All the more reason for someone like me to stick around, try to clean up some of this dirt, and show the world that you don't have to raise a left hand to get ahead... you don't have to steal women's hair to get ahead... you don't have to brutalize or terrorize people just to make a name.

I'm going into March Madness to prove that you can be an underdog, have honor, have respect, and have a good nature... and WIN IT ALL. Y'all can take solace in THAT.

I don't care if it's the winner of the second chance battle royal. I don't care if it's Keiran Overton, Doc Deville, Shawn Warstein, Atara or Osira Themis, Betsy Granger, or Miss Fury. Only one name will matter by the end, and it's going to be "The Quiet Storm" Solace Tatum.

So, don't take it personally. Just show up.

Solace winks to those who are watching. The video ends with the next Queen of the XWF... and her Billion Dollar smile.