Elemental Conflict
Jun 10, 2017 16:20:34 GMT -5
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Danielle Basch and Tornado Desencadenado like this
Post by Donovan Basch on Jun 10, 2017 16:20:34 GMT -5
LeBlanc Residence
Marina del Rey, California
Scene opens with a shot of Danni LeBlanc’s bedroom, the digital clock on the nightstand reading 3:30 am. All of the lights are off, and through the open windows, the faint sound of the crashing surf can be heard. At the foot of the bed, Danni’s Doberman Pinschers, Angus and Sable, are slumbering the night away. In general, all is peaceful and quiet…..
...until Danni LeBlanc shoots upright, screaming, clutching the sheets around her body as cold sweat pours down her face.. Within a fraction of a second, Donovan is also awake, quickly finding the switch on the bedside lamp to flood the room with light. The dogs bolt up to Danni’s side of the bed, barking their concern for their human until Donovan calms them down, turning his attention back to Danni.
Donovan: Danni? What is it?
Without saying a word, Danni latches onto her boyfriend with a frightening intensity and buries her face in his massive chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Encircling her in his arms, he holds her tightly and strokes her hair in an effort to calm her down.
Donovan: Are you alright, Danni? You’re shaking like a leaf!
She doesn’t respond immediately, but after a few seconds, she pulls away slightly and looks up at him, her eyes brimming with tears, her breath still heavy and shaky.
Danni: Oh, Donny, it was horrible….
Donovan: Nightmare?
She nods, trying to regain control of her breathing.
Donovan: Do you want to tell me about it?
Danni takes a moment to collect herself before beginning.
Danni: Now, I don’t want to alarm you, but it was our wedding day….
Donovan nods, encouraging her to go on, not even flinching at the mention of the word “wedding.”
Danni: I was in my wedding gown, waiting for you to arrive. Just as you were pulling in, another car came out of nowhere and t-boned your car. I started running towards the wreckage, but it seemed like no matter how hard I pushed forward, it was like I was running through quicksand….
She pauses.
Danni: By the time I got to your car, some other people had just managed to get the other car pulled back enough to separate them. I tried pulling open your door, but it wouldn’t budge. But I kept at it. I felt something pop in my shoulder, but I finally managed to get the door open. You started to tumble out , but I caught you before you you hit the pavement. Both of us tumbled to the ground, and you started to bleed out. I held up my hands and they were covered in your blood….
That’s where I woke up….
Donovan pulls her back in and shuts his eyes, resting his head on top of hers.
Donovan: Shhh…. I’m right here, Danni. Healthy and whole….
Danni: But…. it’s almost exactly like what happened to Jax….
Tears begin to fill her eyes again. Donovan can feel them spilling from her eyes and down his chest, but he just continues to hold her.
Donovan: Danni….
No response.
Donovan: Danni.
Again, she doesn’t say a word, so he gently lifts her head up to face him.
Donovan: I’m no expert in interpreting dreams, so I’m not even going to try. But I will say this; I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that this dream in particular never comes to pass.
He stares straight into her red, tear-soaked eyes, stroking her cheek as he gives her a comforting smile.
Donovan: When the time comes, we won’t even need to go anywhere. You’ll be moved into my place by then; we can just do it right there on the beach.
Danni: You’re serious?
Donovan: Why not? I think it would be the perfect setting! And the best part… no driving involved.
Danni breaths a sigh of relief, once again resting her head on his chest. Donovan holds her there, silently mouthing the words:
“One day...”
Scene fades away.
Scene fades back in with Donovan sitting at a small desk near a rather powerful looking telescope. He is clad only in a set of board shorts, and sitting next to him is the larger of Danni’s two dogs, Angus, looking out over the ocean.
Donovan: Tornado Desencadenado….. Or, as you’ve been SO kind to translate for us, “Tornado Unchained”....
Sorry to break this to you, but the name is a bit of a misnomer. You see, with a moniker like that, it conjures up images of a wild, destructive force that a mortal man would be nearly defenseless against. But sadly, here in West Coast Genesis, you simply haven’t lived up to the hype… no pun intended. Believe me, I can commiserate. My debut didn’t go as planned, and it took a little while for me to come into my own, so I can sympathise.
But…..
He pauses, reaching down to rub Angus’s head between his ears.
Donovan: Sympathy only goes so far in this business, and it isn’t anywhere near a victory, especially since I won’t ALLOW it to get that far.
I know you don’t bear me any ill will, Tornado. And, to a certain extend, the feeling is mutual. I don’t hate you… for that matter, I can’t even say that I dislike you, but there is one issue between us that causes me some concern….
Donovan’s features darken when he conveys his next words
Donovan: Danni LeBlanc.
More importantly, this seeming obsession for her, not to mention various other women, on your part. Almost without fail, once my girlfriend posts something on Twitter, especially candid photos of herself, you jump on it, sometimes within seconds of being posted. To me, this sort of behavior borders on that of a stalker. Danni may not say anything about it; she’s simply too nice in that respect, but I can tell by her expression sometimes that she seems a bit… put off by the attention you’re giving her. Now, I could be way off base on this matter, that it’s much more innocent than it appears. But I don’t like it when my girlfriend is uncomfortable, Tornado. And rather than stand around and wait for the storm to pass, as it were, I intend to do something about it.
What is the phrase that gets thrown around these days? “Thirsty”? Well, if you’re so blasted parched, I’m sure you can find plenty of other ways to slake your thirst. If we were closer to the ocean, I’d tell you to spin yourself out into the surf and suck up some seawater. But that isn’t the case, Tornado. I'm just going to have to make due with what I bring to the ring.
He brings his hand up to his chin and taps his finger, almost as if he’s lost in thought.
Donovan: Funny thing is, I bring quite a bit with me to the ring; that's something you've already acknowledged, which is more than I can say for some other members of the roster. Size, strength, those are readily apparent. But I do pride myself on being more than just your average “big man” wrestler. That was something my trainers went to great lengths to instill in me. They couldn't stress enough the importance of being able to think on your feet, because sometimes even the best strategies can fall to pieces. You have the speed advantage over me; that I can't deny. Agility? There’s where the armchair analysts could have a field day debating which of us has the edge in that department. After all, how many men of my size do you see pulling off some of the aerial moves that I do? I guess it all boils down to which one of us has the most stamina.
He chuckles to himself as Angus lets out a soft, low bark.
Donovan: With that in mind, at Hype, in Riverside, it may very well boil down to who can execute their strategy more effectively. Can you hit the Cyclone Smash before I hit the Apocalypse? Will you still have enough left in the tank to execute the Vertigone, or will you be flat on your back sucking wind, waiting for 270 pounds to come crashing down on you with a Senton Bomb? In my mind, it’s no contest, Tornado. I merely need the opportunity to turn thought into reality….
Scene ends as Donovan and Angus make their way back through the bedroom and downstairs.
Marina del Rey, California
Scene opens with a shot of Danni LeBlanc’s bedroom, the digital clock on the nightstand reading 3:30 am. All of the lights are off, and through the open windows, the faint sound of the crashing surf can be heard. At the foot of the bed, Danni’s Doberman Pinschers, Angus and Sable, are slumbering the night away. In general, all is peaceful and quiet…..
...until Danni LeBlanc shoots upright, screaming, clutching the sheets around her body as cold sweat pours down her face.. Within a fraction of a second, Donovan is also awake, quickly finding the switch on the bedside lamp to flood the room with light. The dogs bolt up to Danni’s side of the bed, barking their concern for their human until Donovan calms them down, turning his attention back to Danni.
Donovan: Danni? What is it?
Without saying a word, Danni latches onto her boyfriend with a frightening intensity and buries her face in his massive chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Encircling her in his arms, he holds her tightly and strokes her hair in an effort to calm her down.
Donovan: Are you alright, Danni? You’re shaking like a leaf!
She doesn’t respond immediately, but after a few seconds, she pulls away slightly and looks up at him, her eyes brimming with tears, her breath still heavy and shaky.
Danni: Oh, Donny, it was horrible….
Donovan: Nightmare?
She nods, trying to regain control of her breathing.
Donovan: Do you want to tell me about it?
Danni takes a moment to collect herself before beginning.
Danni: Now, I don’t want to alarm you, but it was our wedding day….
Donovan nods, encouraging her to go on, not even flinching at the mention of the word “wedding.”
Danni: I was in my wedding gown, waiting for you to arrive. Just as you were pulling in, another car came out of nowhere and t-boned your car. I started running towards the wreckage, but it seemed like no matter how hard I pushed forward, it was like I was running through quicksand….
She pauses.
Danni: By the time I got to your car, some other people had just managed to get the other car pulled back enough to separate them. I tried pulling open your door, but it wouldn’t budge. But I kept at it. I felt something pop in my shoulder, but I finally managed to get the door open. You started to tumble out , but I caught you before you you hit the pavement. Both of us tumbled to the ground, and you started to bleed out. I held up my hands and they were covered in your blood….
That’s where I woke up….
Donovan pulls her back in and shuts his eyes, resting his head on top of hers.
Donovan: Shhh…. I’m right here, Danni. Healthy and whole….
Danni: But…. it’s almost exactly like what happened to Jax….
Tears begin to fill her eyes again. Donovan can feel them spilling from her eyes and down his chest, but he just continues to hold her.
Donovan: Danni….
No response.
Donovan: Danni.
Again, she doesn’t say a word, so he gently lifts her head up to face him.
Donovan: I’m no expert in interpreting dreams, so I’m not even going to try. But I will say this; I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that this dream in particular never comes to pass.
He stares straight into her red, tear-soaked eyes, stroking her cheek as he gives her a comforting smile.
Donovan: When the time comes, we won’t even need to go anywhere. You’ll be moved into my place by then; we can just do it right there on the beach.
Danni: You’re serious?
Donovan: Why not? I think it would be the perfect setting! And the best part… no driving involved.
Danni breaths a sigh of relief, once again resting her head on his chest. Donovan holds her there, silently mouthing the words:
“One day...”
Scene fades away.
Scene fades back in with Donovan sitting at a small desk near a rather powerful looking telescope. He is clad only in a set of board shorts, and sitting next to him is the larger of Danni’s two dogs, Angus, looking out over the ocean.
Donovan: Tornado Desencadenado….. Or, as you’ve been SO kind to translate for us, “Tornado Unchained”....
Sorry to break this to you, but the name is a bit of a misnomer. You see, with a moniker like that, it conjures up images of a wild, destructive force that a mortal man would be nearly defenseless against. But sadly, here in West Coast Genesis, you simply haven’t lived up to the hype… no pun intended. Believe me, I can commiserate. My debut didn’t go as planned, and it took a little while for me to come into my own, so I can sympathise.
But…..
He pauses, reaching down to rub Angus’s head between his ears.
Donovan: Sympathy only goes so far in this business, and it isn’t anywhere near a victory, especially since I won’t ALLOW it to get that far.
I know you don’t bear me any ill will, Tornado. And, to a certain extend, the feeling is mutual. I don’t hate you… for that matter, I can’t even say that I dislike you, but there is one issue between us that causes me some concern….
Donovan’s features darken when he conveys his next words
Donovan: Danni LeBlanc.
More importantly, this seeming obsession for her, not to mention various other women, on your part. Almost without fail, once my girlfriend posts something on Twitter, especially candid photos of herself, you jump on it, sometimes within seconds of being posted. To me, this sort of behavior borders on that of a stalker. Danni may not say anything about it; she’s simply too nice in that respect, but I can tell by her expression sometimes that she seems a bit… put off by the attention you’re giving her. Now, I could be way off base on this matter, that it’s much more innocent than it appears. But I don’t like it when my girlfriend is uncomfortable, Tornado. And rather than stand around and wait for the storm to pass, as it were, I intend to do something about it.
What is the phrase that gets thrown around these days? “Thirsty”? Well, if you’re so blasted parched, I’m sure you can find plenty of other ways to slake your thirst. If we were closer to the ocean, I’d tell you to spin yourself out into the surf and suck up some seawater. But that isn’t the case, Tornado. I'm just going to have to make due with what I bring to the ring.
He brings his hand up to his chin and taps his finger, almost as if he’s lost in thought.
Donovan: Funny thing is, I bring quite a bit with me to the ring; that's something you've already acknowledged, which is more than I can say for some other members of the roster. Size, strength, those are readily apparent. But I do pride myself on being more than just your average “big man” wrestler. That was something my trainers went to great lengths to instill in me. They couldn't stress enough the importance of being able to think on your feet, because sometimes even the best strategies can fall to pieces. You have the speed advantage over me; that I can't deny. Agility? There’s where the armchair analysts could have a field day debating which of us has the edge in that department. After all, how many men of my size do you see pulling off some of the aerial moves that I do? I guess it all boils down to which one of us has the most stamina.
He chuckles to himself as Angus lets out a soft, low bark.
Donovan: With that in mind, at Hype, in Riverside, it may very well boil down to who can execute their strategy more effectively. Can you hit the Cyclone Smash before I hit the Apocalypse? Will you still have enough left in the tank to execute the Vertigone, or will you be flat on your back sucking wind, waiting for 270 pounds to come crashing down on you with a Senton Bomb? In my mind, it’s no contest, Tornado. I merely need the opportunity to turn thought into reality….
Scene ends as Donovan and Angus make their way back through the bedroom and downstairs.