06-20-2014, 04:29 PM
Connor walked across the street to the door of Gracie's Gym. The doors were closed, though, and the there didn't seem to be anyone there. He looked at his watch- he was a little early- and leaned against the wall to wait. It was crisply cold out, but he didn't notice much. He was too keyed up to really care.
A car came around the corner and pulled alongside the sidewalk. The window went down and Connor saw it was Charlie. "Hey Connor. Get in."
Connor got in and Charlie took off. It was quiet for a bit until Charlie said, "So, you ever been to one of these before?"
The light from the lamp-posts and signs hypnotically threw light onto the dash of the car. Connor's nerves were tight, but the fact that they were moving inexorably to their destination only served to heighten the tension. He looked over at Charlie and answered, "Nope. Haven't been in a fight, really, since maybe high school."
He laughed at he memory. "Got suspended. You know how it is. 'Fighting isn't tolerated. I don't care whose fault it is.' Stuff like that."
He paused. "I've only ever given into my rage once before. It wasn't the same."
He shied away from the memory. It was not the same thing at all. "This,"
he said, "this is for me. I just need this."
Looking at Charlie, he asked "What about you? How long you been doing this?"
Charlie was quiet for a moment. "Couple years I guess. I used to go as often as possible. Now maybe once or twice a week."
He looked at Connor. "It's 2045, but even now there are some fathers who aren't very accepting of men like me."
He waited for Connor to nod before he went on. He laughed a little bitterly. "I wasn't always this specimen of masculinity you see before me."
Connor laughed softly. "I got picked on a lot by some of the guys. Called names. I guess they thought that because I liked men or dress up, that I wasn't a man."
He shrugged. "I don't know. That messes with you I guess. I began to over-compensate, work out a lot, learned various fighting styles. Got into lots of fights."
"Did that help?"
Connor was curious.
"At first it did. Found out about the fight club and was going every night."
He laughed, seemingly at the memory. "Had to change my line of work. People don't really like being served by a bartender with missing teeth or black eyes."
Then he laughed even harder. "Kinda ruined my look when I went out on the town as Charlene, too."
Connor laughed out loud. Though He hadn't noticed any missing teeth either.
"You must have a hell of a dentist."
"Hahaha...yeah I do."
Then he went on, "Funny thing though. The fighting stopped being about the rage and resentment and insecurity. It just became about men being men. No matter if I liked to dress up or liked guys. I was one of them. When we were fighting, as brutal as it was- And it hurts like a son of bitch, I hope you know. You better be ready,"
he added looking at Connor. Connor shrugged. He was ready. He wanted this. Charlie went on. "It became....I don't know. It's hard to describe it. It became almost spiritual. We became brothers. When it was done, blood in your mouth, eye can barely see through the swelling, you just hug the guy. You feel that adrenaline, like you are proud to be a man, to have this power. Like you have given each other permission to be men and accepted each other completely."
He breathed. "It's just the greatest feeling in the world.."
Connor hungered for a connection like that, something to fill this ache, this empty void inside him. He needed it badly. "That's what I want man. To feel alive."
He went on in a whisper. "I do."
The car slowed to an abandoned building, maybe 10 other cars and trucks parked around it. The doors were closed, but he could see from the small windows that the lights were on inside. "Alright. Well, you're going to get it then. You're the new guy, and the new guys always fights. But I think you'll like it."
The got out of the car and walked to the door. Connor's was at a fever pitch now. This was it. His heart pounded, he felt so alive, felt so much.....everything. Charlie knocked on the door and spoke the the man that opened.
Then, they both walked in the building.
Edited by Connor Kent, Jun 20 2014, 04:40 PM.
A car came around the corner and pulled alongside the sidewalk. The window went down and Connor saw it was Charlie. "Hey Connor. Get in."
Connor got in and Charlie took off. It was quiet for a bit until Charlie said, "So, you ever been to one of these before?"
The light from the lamp-posts and signs hypnotically threw light onto the dash of the car. Connor's nerves were tight, but the fact that they were moving inexorably to their destination only served to heighten the tension. He looked over at Charlie and answered, "Nope. Haven't been in a fight, really, since maybe high school."
He laughed at he memory. "Got suspended. You know how it is. 'Fighting isn't tolerated. I don't care whose fault it is.' Stuff like that."
He paused. "I've only ever given into my rage once before. It wasn't the same."
He shied away from the memory. It was not the same thing at all. "This,"
he said, "this is for me. I just need this."
Looking at Charlie, he asked "What about you? How long you been doing this?"
Charlie was quiet for a moment. "Couple years I guess. I used to go as often as possible. Now maybe once or twice a week."
He looked at Connor. "It's 2045, but even now there are some fathers who aren't very accepting of men like me."
He waited for Connor to nod before he went on. He laughed a little bitterly. "I wasn't always this specimen of masculinity you see before me."
Connor laughed softly. "I got picked on a lot by some of the guys. Called names. I guess they thought that because I liked men or dress up, that I wasn't a man."
He shrugged. "I don't know. That messes with you I guess. I began to over-compensate, work out a lot, learned various fighting styles. Got into lots of fights."
"Did that help?"
Connor was curious.
"At first it did. Found out about the fight club and was going every night."
He laughed, seemingly at the memory. "Had to change my line of work. People don't really like being served by a bartender with missing teeth or black eyes."
Then he laughed even harder. "Kinda ruined my look when I went out on the town as Charlene, too."
Connor laughed out loud. Though He hadn't noticed any missing teeth either.
"You must have a hell of a dentist."
"Hahaha...yeah I do."
Then he went on, "Funny thing though. The fighting stopped being about the rage and resentment and insecurity. It just became about men being men. No matter if I liked to dress up or liked guys. I was one of them. When we were fighting, as brutal as it was- And it hurts like a son of bitch, I hope you know. You better be ready,"
he added looking at Connor. Connor shrugged. He was ready. He wanted this. Charlie went on. "It became....I don't know. It's hard to describe it. It became almost spiritual. We became brothers. When it was done, blood in your mouth, eye can barely see through the swelling, you just hug the guy. You feel that adrenaline, like you are proud to be a man, to have this power. Like you have given each other permission to be men and accepted each other completely."
He breathed. "It's just the greatest feeling in the world.."
Connor hungered for a connection like that, something to fill this ache, this empty void inside him. He needed it badly. "That's what I want man. To feel alive."
He went on in a whisper. "I do."
The car slowed to an abandoned building, maybe 10 other cars and trucks parked around it. The doors were closed, but he could see from the small windows that the lights were on inside. "Alright. Well, you're going to get it then. You're the new guy, and the new guys always fights. But I think you'll like it."
The got out of the car and walked to the door. Connor's was at a fever pitch now. This was it. His heart pounded, he felt so alive, felt so much.....everything. Charlie knocked on the door and spoke the the man that opened.
Then, they both walked in the building.
Edited by Connor Kent, Jun 20 2014, 04:40 PM.