Post by Aurora Graves on Oct 22, 2016 22:53:17 GMT -5
Honda Center
Anaheim, CA
Sunday, October 16, 2016
The main event of #FSociety Anarchy had just ended, and Aurora and Damon found themselves – for the first time that day – in the same dressing room. Damon had just pulled his boots off, tossing them on the floor next to his gear bag. Nearby, Aurora looked on, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
Damon: Well, that didn’t exactly go as expected...
Aurora: I don’t see how you’re complaining. Your team won, after all.
Damon: Come on, Harley... you know what I’m talking about.
Aurora: You see, that’s the thing. I really DON’T know. All I know is that when it was all over, they were playing Amber’s music. Everything happened so fast, even I lost track of who was legal and who wasn’t. Still, I don’t blame Corey for being upset.
Damon: Not a hell of a lot we can do about it, though. “Referee’s decision is final, even if it’s wrong.”
Aurora: Easy for you to say... your team benefitted from that zebra’s little fuck-up.
Damon: Oh, come on, Harley... let’s not start that, alright?
Aurora: Yeah, you’re right. Let’s just... fuck it; I just want to go home.
Damon: You know what? That’s the best thing I’ve heard you say all night!
Aurora pushed off of the wall as she headed to the shower, her bag slung over her shoulder. Damon watched her disappear into the next room, then unwound the tape from his wrists.
Planet Hollywood
Las Vegas, NV
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
In the wedding chapel lobby, Aurora and Damon sat in front of a desk, behind which sat a flat-screen TV monitor and some audio equipment. On screen, the Planet Hollywood logo rotated as it floated from one edge of the monitor to the other. Aurora watched the floating logo as Damon stared across the desk at the empty chair. Both were wearing jeans and black t-shirts, with Aurora opting for one that said “BRIDE” in shimmering rhinestones.
After a few seconds, a woman clad in an ivory suit slipped into the seat behind the desk, smiling as she looked at the couple through wide, rimless glasses. She folded her hands, resting them on the surface of the desk and cleared her throat.
Wedding Coordinator: Well, now that we have all of the aesthetics out of the way, shall we go over your music for the ceremony?
Damon: Right. We have a list of songs we’d like to play.
Damon slipped a memory card and a sheet of paper across the desk. The wedding coordinator looked over the list, nodding her head until she came to one song in particular. She furrowed her brow, glancing briefly over her glasses as she let out a soft chuckle. This had Aurora slightly concerned, as her sapphire eyes gazed warily at the woman that was handling the most important day of her life.
Aurora: So, will these selections work for the ceremony?
WC: Yes, but can I make a small suggestion for the recessional?
The wedding coordinator nodded her head, but there was something in her voice that hinted at reservation.
Damon: What sort of suggestion did you have in mind?
WC: Well, traditionally, the recessional music is a bit on the upbeat side. However, the song you have listed here is a bit... too fast.
Damon: You’ve got a point there... What about this song?
Damon pointed to a song further down the list. The wedding coordinator slipped a pair of headphones over her ears, popped the memory card into the card reader. She listened to the track he had suggested and smiled approvingly.
WC: Much better. Though I have to admit, this is going to be one of the more unconventional weddings we’ve held here.
Aurora let out a nervous chuckle.
Aurora: Well, I never was much for doing things “conventionally,” you know what I mean?
WC: Indeed. In any event, you hired us to make your special day as memorable as possible... so we will do our best to do just that.
Damon and Aurora stood up from their seats, as did the wedding coordinator. They shook hands as they prepared to take their leave.
Aurora: I appreciate it. The last time I got married... well, let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a fairy tale.
Aurora let her head hang down, her voice trailing off, fading into a sigh. Damon put his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him as he stared into her eyes.
Damon: That one didn’t count, Harley. You were a different person back then.
The wedding coordinator quietly slipped out of the room, leaving the young lovers to what had quickly become a private conversation.
WC: I’ll just go put this playlist in your file... you have a nice evening, kids.
Aurora: Was I? Younger, yes. Different? Probably not so much.
Damon: Harley, I may not have known you back then, but I can tell that you’ve grown from that experience. You’re a lot stronger than you were back then.
Aurora: Well, since you put it that way.... Yeah; I suppose I have changed.
Damon: For the better, of course.
Damon held the door to the chapel open, smiling as Aurora walked out into the hallway.
Aurora: And now to let the next 12 days fly by so that I can experience the biggest – and best – change of my life...
Damon laughed as he slipped his arm around Aurora’s shoulders as they started to walk toward the escalator.
Damon: Yeah... like your last name. That is, unless you’ve changed your mind about that....
Aurora: Oh, HELL no! You know how long I’ve been waiting to erase the name “Knight” from my memory?
Damon: About four years?
It was Aurora’s turn to laugh; a laugh that echoed throughout the large, open space outside the wedding chapel.
Aurora: Did I ever tell you how glad I am that we moved up the wedding?
Damon: Only about twenty times... today.
Aurora: Make that 21....
They stood at the top of the escalator, as Damon gestured for Aurora to go ahead. She stepped onto the first step, with Damon following as they rode down to the lower level.
Perry Residence
Las Vegas, NV
October 19, 2016
*Tic-Toc*
The second hand of a giant clock made its journey past the roman numerals embossed in black on its face beneath a shallow dome of beveled glass. In the cavernous foyer that marked the entrance of the home of Rebel Ink’s manager and trainer – Alicia and Jason Perry – what would normally be barely audible echoed like a shout over the Grand Canyon.
*Tic-toc, tic-toc*
Soon, the ticking of the clock was accompanied by the sound of footsteps approaching from the next room – one heavy, one light – as the team of Rebel Ink stepped into view, both of them bearing somewhat annoyed expressions on their faces.
Aurora: I’d like to consider myself an easygoing girl. I don’t fly off the handle...
Damon: Usually.
Aurora: Hey, shut up!
Damon: Bite me!
Aurora: Maybe later, Puddin’.
She gave her fiancé a playful wink and a smirk.
Aurora: Anyway, as I was saying...
The last time Damon and I stepped inside a Redemption Wrestling ring, we literally left the so-called “champions” lying flat on their backs. But because it happened outside the ring, Mr. and Mrs. Not-So-Chaotic managed to squirm away with the Tag Team Championships by the skin of their teeth. Now, they’re white-knuckling their championships because they know that their days at the top of the heap are numbered.
Right now, you’re looking at the team that should be the rightful champions, but since titles can’t change hands via count out...
She sneered, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed as she rolled her eyes. Damon stood with his hands on his hips, nodding his head as if to echo his fiancée’s sentiment.
Damon: Well, the word “bittersweet” comes to mind, but that’s putting it EXTREMELY mildly. Those two lovesick chumpstains that call themselves champions would normally be tittering amongst themselves, bragging about how they’re still the champions, but they haven’t said a thing since we laid them out. Maybe they know that Rebel Ink has their number; it’s just a matter of time before we hit redial.
Aurora: But before we do that, we first have to go through one little formality. We have to take on the first team to get thrown out of the elimination match at Zero Hour... Radicalliance 85.
Let me ask you a question, Puddin’...
Damon tilted his head, raising his eyebrow in curiosity at his tag team partner.
Damon: What would that question be, Harley?
Aurora: Why on earth would Devlin Scott choose to put the first team to LOSE in a match to determine the new number one contenders for the titles? Are we rewarding people for coming in dead last?
Damon: That’s basically what it looks like. What? He couldn’t find any decent opponents to put up against us, so he throws the Human Toothpick and Chewbacca’s bastard love child with Heidi Fleiss...
Aurora turned to Damon with a look of mild disapproval, lightly backhanding him in the shoulder as she frowned.
Aurora: Puddin’!
Damon: Am I wrong?
As Damon shrugged, Aurora took a moment to think about it, scratching her chin. She then nodded her head in agreement.
Aurora: Well, now that you mention it, I can see the resemblance.
She shook her head.
Aurora: Not that it matters. Look... there’s no denying that Radicalliance 85 had a good run in IPW as the Tag Team Champions. But once you put them up against a major league tag team like Rebel Ink...
Damon: Well, we showed them just how out of their league they really are.
Aurora: Josh... fuck it – I’mma call you Goldie, and I don’t give a rat’s ass if you don’t like it. You think we don’t know who we’re dealing with? That elimination match we had at Zero Hour tells me otherwise. We gave you a chance to prove us wrong, and all you did was show that you don’t have what it takes to beat us. Hell, you can’t even get my fiancé’s name right! I mean... who the fuck is Damian?
Damon scoffed at the mention of Josh Goldstein’s little name fumble.
Damon: Shit... and he says WE’RE the ones that don’t realize who we’re dealing with? Sounds to me like it should be the other way around.
Aurora: Whatever.... Now Goldie and the half-Wookie have another shot at proving themselves worthy of a shot at championship gold. It’s just an unfortunate situation that they find themselves in. They find themselves standing in the way of us and what’s rightfully ours – the Redemption Tag Team Championships. Once we plow through those two scrubs, then we can deal with those paper champions...
Damon: And relieve them of their “duties”.
Aurora: We’re not stupid enough to blindly look past the team being put in front of us. We’re just that damn confident that we’re going to come out of this match with the win, and the right to call ourselves the number one contenders. And after it’s all over, you two can go off to your rec center and kvetch about getting your asses kicked until you’re blue in the face.
And by the way... I distinctly remember one of you – mainly Goldie – saying he’d eat pork before letting someone other than his own team walk out of Zero Hour with the titles? I’d ask how those pork chops tasted, but I highly doubt you actually went through with it. But hey... I really couldn’t care less if you did or not.
Aurora shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head as she sighed.
Damon: It’s not like it reflects on your integrity or anything...
Aurora: Well then maybe they shouldn’t make promises they know they won’t keep. Makes it hard as hell to believe a word out of their mouths.
She and Damon laughed for a moment before Aurora’s attention shifted to the sound of another set of footsteps approaching. She turned, silently acknowledged the person she saw standing just out of frame, then turned back to the camera.
Aurora: But the one thing the fans CAN count on is that no matter what, when Rebel Ink steps into the ring, they’re guaranteed to see one hell of a fight, no matter who’s standing across the ring from us.
Damon: This Sunday at Glory, Rebel Ink and Radicalliance 85 will go one more round, and once again, leave those time warp twits in the dust. See you then, boys....
From out of frame, the lady of the house, Rebel Ink’s manager, Alicia Perry emerged, a hand on her back as the heavily pregnant woman walked up to the couple, a look of concern on her face.
Aurora: What is it, Alicia?
Alicia: I just got a phone call from my contact with Long Beach PD...
She turned to the camera, the look in her eye suggesting that the camera crew had overstayed their welcome in her home.
Alicia: I can’t tell you here. We need to go somewhere more private.
Alicia stared daggers into the camera lens, her arms crossed in front of her.
Alicia: Take the hint, folks... GET OUT!
