Taking Back Sunday

[Fox Platinum]

"Tch." Her reply at Salem Crofts shock of being a father. Backing away, as Jarel drops Salem to the Canvas, Queen Oni couldn't hold back a smirk!
Creating distance from the ring, silently waiting for Croft to get himself together for a private talk.

Kyra stuck tighter to her Mom, as they moved, looking up and back over at the men, unaware of what was going on.
Creeping a smile up herself, catching cue that something was amusing to her Mom.. but what?

 

[Salem Croft]

Salem rolled out of the ring, reeling a bit from Jarel's surprise attack as the big man took advantage of his inattention. Glaring back at Jarel as he got off the apron and onto the gymnasium mats, Salem glanced at Drako, sharing a shake of his head with the champ, leaving the brothers to talk as he followed after Queen Oni and Kyra. He felt strange, not just from having his head rocked moments earlier but the circumstances he found himself in.

This woman claimed to have had a child of his, yet Salem knew nothing of her. Still, he couldn't deny the resemblance in Kyra's eyes as he looked at her. He struggled to think of what to say as they came to a stop next to some gym equipment. Kneeling down to look at the young girl, Salem put on his winningest smile and patted her head.

"Hey, little biscuit. You wanna go watch the TV over there for just a second?" he said, gesturing to a big screen mounted on a nearby wall., "Put on whatever you want, just let me talk to your mom a minute, okay?"

 

[Fox Platinum]

"Tssss.." Came a hiss from Queen Oni, baring her teeth, as Croft brazenly put his hand on her child.
Nonetheless, she nodded her chin to the square of motion entertainment, giving Kyra the approval.
Princess Kyra, hesitantly reluctant at first, took a step back, then slowly walked backwards, making sure her Mom stayed where she was.

Queen Oni waved a hand for her to get a go on, before turn back and facing Salem once again.
"Five years.." reiterating. "No more ghost Oni Queen." Sharply speaking to him in a low hush, ensuring her words did not carry to Kyra's ears.

 

[Salem Croft]

Salem smiled and waved as Kyra scampered off, turning back to Queen Oni as she spoke in her peculiar dialect. Five years? Ghost Oni Queen? Judging from the kid's size, he took the first statement to mean how long it'd been since their entanglement. But Ghost Queen Oni? Was she implying he was ghosting her this whole time? He didn't even know who she was.

"Look, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm sorry if you think I ghosted you. But, I don't even know who you are. If that's my daughter over there, you better believe I'm going to be involved. But you're wearing a mask and I don't know you. So forgive me for prying into a woman's business, but you need to give me more details, here."

 

[Fox Platinum]

Queen Oni could only frown for a moment, he wasn't wrong. Slightly biting her bottom lip, knowing she had to give him something to go off of..

"Dub-dub-ef-gee, Before Oni Queen, lady help save in ring. You date dine gator tail, old green wine bottle.""
Pausing to let her scrambled words sink in Salem Crofts head and see if he could decode those random utterances.
Then in a jab, "No remember? Do too many woman? Booze brain slush?"

 

[Salem Croft]

Salem rolled her words around a bit, trying to fill in the blanks from both his memory and her sentences. FG? A date? Though Salem did get around a bit for a little while, he never remembered having a kid with anyone, and he'd know unless they just vanished on him after...and at that moment, a wave of realization hit him like a tsunami, almost making his legs go out again. Looking into her mask, Salem felt like he could see right through it.

"So...you're back, huh? You know, I never heard from you after that. Had I known you'd gotten pregnant..."

Salem looked over at Kyra watching cartoons and dancing along with the screen, smiling a twinge sadly.

"Look, I'd have supported her. Believe that. But showing up like this, that's not fair to her. She deserves a dad. We need a chance to have that relationship. You know that's true."

 

[Fox Platinum]

Queen Oni grimaced, not liking the turnaround.. it took some tongue biting to keep from lashing back in interruption.
"Maybe don't let your number go dead! I, believe you're so lost in booze, jail, and no showing matches, that she deserves better than a dad like you! I KNOW that's true!"
Getting so heated, she dropped her accent altogether, whispering ever sharper! Holding nothing back in a deep stab to Salem!

No sooner had Queen Oni shot her response out, she took a step back, facing downward away from him. Exhaling a sigh.. "Haaa.. she here now. Go talk, I.. Oni.. Done, done."
Exasperated with a clenching jaw and lips tight in frustration, she stepped away from him.

 

[Salem Croft]

Salem could tell he'd struck a chord with 'Queen Oni', hearing her true voice come out in anger as she chastised him and turned away, trying to put her character back on as she dismissed him. There were things Salem wanted to say, things he wanted to explain to her, but this would have to wait. She was right, his daughter was here now, and he needed to use this opportunity to become a part of her life.

Holding his tongue, Salem just nodded solemnly and turned away, himself, taking a deep breath as he walked over to Kyra, crouching next to her.

"Hey again, lil' biscuit. Watching some TV, huh? It's big, isn't it?" he said, trying to break the ice as well as he could, given the circumstances.

 

[Fox Platinum]

Sitting on a leather single seat chair, as Salem approached, her darted back to the giant monitor of child program nonsense, fidgeting the remote around in her hands.
Kyra ignored Salem while he crouched beside her.. she did have the respect to face the person, when spoken to. "Yeh." A short and simple answer. "I'm not a biscuit."

 

[Salem Croft]

Salem couldn't help but let out a proud, amused chuckle at Kyra's response, recognizing her defiance all too well from his own childhood days. Nodding, he tried to move a little more into her field of vision, staying crouched at eye level with the little girl. Reaching for the remote, he'd casually turn the television down while speaking, cutting off any impulsive protest.

"Heh. No, you're not a biscuit. You're name's Kyra, right? I really like that name. It's pretty. Do you know mine?" he asked, adjusting to sit in front of her and look her in the eyes, respectfully.,

 

[Fox Platinum]

Salem's crafty remote nab didn't go unnoticed and she pulled it back after he turned it down, turning off the television altogether.
"Sally Sad Sack.. I don't think Mommy likes you." Kyra's eyes looked back at Salem's, still shy and uncertain of the man before her.

 

[Salem Croft]

Salem chuckled and nodded, impressed by how observant the girl was.

"Heh. Sally? That's a silly name for a boy. My name's Salem. And I know, your mom doesn't like me that much. But, do you know why? Do you know who I am?" he asked, looking thoughtfully at the child.

 

[Fox Platinum]

Scrunching her brows, Kyra quizzically thought it over. Lips pensively making a move over to one side, really thinking it through.
Seconds passed, as she seemed to churn out her options.. then brows lightened, as Kyra gave her answer.
"An uncle? Another uncle, that didn't hurt Mommy." Guessing at first, then quickly stating a proper answer.

 

[Salem Croft]

Salem could feel himself start to get emotional, trying to confront a child with what he had to say, but bit it down and swallowed it, trying to talk even as his voice attempted to betray him.

"N...No, honey...I'm not your uncle. I'm...I'm your dad. You're my daughter. I'm sorry. I wasn't around, I didn't know. I would've moved a whole mountain on my shoulders to be with you. Your mom, didn't see me as a good person. But now, she wants you to give you a chance know me. I'm sorry, Kyra, I wasn't there before. But I'm here now, and I'm always gonna be there. I hope you can give me a chance."

 

[Fox Platinum]

Kyra's eyes grew wide to hear that she had a Dad! Listening intently to every word of Salem, and after all that Croft had stated, uttered one question. "...always?"

Before Salem Croft could really answer, Kyra made a rolling flip off the side arm rest, landing perfectly on her feet! Spinning around, she made a run for her mom!
Which wasn't but a few feet away! Clambering herself to Queen Oni's waist! "Don't leave! Mommy! Don't leave! Mommy, don't leave! I wanna live with you! Mommy! No!" Kyra cried with tears rolling out!

A sharp scolding hush was given to Kyra, "Sht! You are." Quieted, Kyra looked up in tearful confusion. "We living together?" Oni Queen looked up at Salem and her mouth went into a display of reeling disgust, to Kyra's amusement, giggled. Facing back down to her daughter, "No. He wishes a chance to always be in your life." Speaking softly, clearing Kyra's misunderstanding.

Kyra sniffles, wipes a tear from her eye, and nods. "Okay."
Turning from her mother, she walks up to Salem and gives his legs a hug.