Post by Aurora Graves on Jun 14, 2017 17:11:57 GMT -5
Rebel Ink III
Inglewood, CA
4:00 pm
Aurora’s workstation consisted of a room at the top of a flight of stairs that comprised the entire upper loft of the shop. A sliding window looked out over the goings on downstairs, but was tinted for added privacy. However, she could still enjoy the sounds of Iron Maiden pumping through the sound system, courtesy of the speakers mounted in the corners of the room.
Having long since concluded her business for the day, Aurora had switched off the gooseneck lamp she had attached to the chair where her customers would sit, pulling the lamp so that it stood straight up. As she turned around, she scooped up the handheld camera she had set up on the window sill. Taking a seat on her work stool, she held the camera up in front of her and smiled into the lens.
Aurora: You know, I almost get the feeling that we’ve been down this road before, Adrien. And if I didn’t know any better, I’d get the funny feeling that you were stalking me...
She paused, shifting her gaze first to the left, then to the right. After a moment, she started to laugh.
Aurora: Don’t worry... I’m only kidding about the whole stalking thing. Maybe.
She giggled again, giving the camera a sly wink as she pushed her foot against the floor. The stool she was sitting on rolled across the room, stopping just shy of the doorway that opened out to the stairs leading to the lower level of the shop. Aurora hopped up from her seat, carrying the camera downstairs.
Aurora: In all seriousness, Adrien, it’s good to see you here in Redemption Wrestling. I wasn’t sure where you’d end up after #FSociety closed down. To be honest, I figured you’d head over to where Stacy was wrestling, but here you are. And of all the people they could have put you up against in your first match...
They choose me. And in the opening bout, no less! I guess it falls to us to set the tone for the night. Perhaps Devlin Scott saw what happened the last time we stood opposite each other in the ring – you with the #FSociety Championship, me with one half of the #FSociety Tag Team Championships. It was ratings gold back then, so round two should be just as good, even if it’s not the main event. It makes me almost feel bad for everyone else on the card... almost.
Aurora maintained a methodical pace as she made her way down the stairs. At about the halfway point, the smile from her face faded, replaced with a much more serious expression.
Aurora: Now, this may sound egotistical of me, but we’ve already got people touting this match as something that could easily headline a Pay-Per-View, so far be it from me to slack off just because we’re jerking the curtain. But then again, you know that’s never been my style. Nor has it ever been my style to go easy on my opponent, regardless of whether or not I respect the person standing across the ring from me. But I will say this... you’d be doing us BOTH a favor by never mentioning my former last name again. The day after we faced off, I buried that name as far deep into the pits of Hell as I could, never to see the light of day again. It’s not something I like to be reminded of, and you know damn well why.
As if to drive those last few sentences further, Aurora’s eyes narrowed and her lip curled briefly into a sneer. As she continued to descend down the stairs, the sneer faded as quickly as it appeared. She stepped out onto the main floor of the shop, which was busy as usual; every workstation had a client seated in one position or another, with the workstation up front featuring Aurora’s husband Damon, who – under the watch of his apprentice, Vincent – was in the middle of an ornate back piece on his client; a phoenix with wings spread, in vibrant colors.
Aurora turned the camera so that Damon could be seen in-frame. He quickly glanced over his shoulder, raising a black-gloved hand as if waving “hello”.
Aurora: As you can see, this place is buzzing – LITERALLY! But this is nothing compared to the crowd that awaits us in Philadelphia, Adrien. As we walk through that curtain to the roar of over 19,000 screaming fans filling the seats of the Wells Fargo Center, we will show everyone why not only could we alone carry a Pay-Per-View, we will show that opponents don’t have to have a heated rivalry to put up a good fight against each other.
Not gonna lie, though. Sometimes, it’s a lot more fun if there’s just a LITTLE bit of bad blood. It keeps things interesting, if you know what I mean.
She smirked as she made her way into the tattoo shop’s lobby, taking a seat on a wood-framed futon near the front door. On the far wall, a selection of hand-drawn flash bearing Damon’s signature in the lower right corner dominated the wall, right beside a hand-painted portrait depicting the night Rebel Ink reclaimed their championships. Aurora turned the camera to zoom in on the portrait, in particular her own portion, which showed her holding her championship belt high over her head. As the camera lingered on this shot, she continued.
Aurora: We’ve both proven that we have what it takes to become champions, Adrien. But this Sunday at Glory, with all due respect, understand one thing. I am not looking to add to any losses I’ve already got, so I’ll be looking to make sure I come out of this match the same way I did the last time we faced off between the ropes.
She turned the camera back around so that her face took up most of the frame. Her eyes burned with determination, and the smile on her face was brimming with confidence.
Aurora: With ME standing tall and my music playing. Nothing personal, Adrien. But you’ll just have to look for your first win against someone other than me. Still, you’re more than welcome to prove me wrong....
She turned the camera one final time, letting the camera linger on a single image as she giggled in the background.
Aurora’s Voice: Nothing wrong with a little shameless self-promotion, right?
