Post by Coda on Sept 17, 2017 21:33:35 GMT -5
DATE: 09.17.17
CAMERA STATUS: ON
As the YouTube video began, Coda sat on a bench with her legs crossed and her black eyes aimed forwards towards the camera lens. Looking in your direction, she tilting her head slightly and began to speak.
"In 2015... Three hundred twenty-seven thousand, three hundred seventy-four robberies were committed in the United States according to the statement the FBI released to the masses. Ninety thousand, one hundred eighty-five rapes were reported in the same year and fifteen thousand, six hundred ninety-six people were murdered — and that is simply the amount of people who were found."
There was an unnerving calmness to the way she spoke, a timid voice mixed with sweet undertones as she spoke about the subject as carelessly as you might read a shopping list.
"While fifteen thousand, six hundred ninety-six might not seem so devastating on paper, it equates to an average of approximately forty-three deaths per day committed within the United States alone."
When you started to think about the facts Coda was laying out for you, it hit you hard. This number wasn't just a static. Approximately 43 real people died every day, people not too different from you.
"I do not share these statistics for no reason. The point I wish to make revolves around one simple question... Who do you believe committed these crimes?"
One word came to mind.
"Some may liken these depraved individuals to monsters, yes? You imagine these beastly figures who do these evil deeds as people who could not be more different than you and your modern sensibilities. You imagine a caricature, this scaly creature with no regard for the sanctity of human life but I must inform you of the contrary."
"Monsters are a human invention. Imaginary creatures such as these do not exist in the real world. It is pointless to believe otherwise. People like you committed these crimes. You wish to dehumanize them but these people had a mother most likely not too much unlike your own. These people had childhoods and hobbies, dreams and aspirations much like everyone else and you wish to characterize them as something different in order to feel safe."
Coda crossed one leg over the other, flippantly flicking a misplaced strand of hair out of her eyes with a whip of her neck. As the sunlight cast over her with a beautiful glow, the emotions on the Young Lions Champion's face stayed chillingly flat as she glanced at the title draped over the back of the park bench beside her, its well-designed plate facing forward for you to see.
"No one like you could ever commit such horrid acts, yes? You are human. These murderers, these rapists, these burglars are something 'much worse.' It is easier. As I have said, however... Monsters were a human invention designed by people to explain things away ever since we realized certain things could not be categorized as easily as everything else."
"Millenniums later and some have taken it upon themselves to continue to categorize people who do not fit the pre-conceived vision of the way things 'should' be. Everyone is given a label. Everyone is shoved into these boxes in order to make things easier for others who wish to classify you as less than your given name. Sometimes, it is because these people cannot take the time to remember the names we have been called for our entire lives and these ignorant simpletons would rather conserve the rest of their dwindling brain cells for something far less useful."
You could tell she wasn't exaggerating her feelings, she was genuinely disgusted by the notion.
"The same label attached to the murderers, the rapists, and the burglars became attached to me — I am a monster in some people's eyes. Because I am more effective in my actions within this combat sport and because I may appear more distant than others want me to appear, I am somehow associated with the worst scum of the world. I am associated with imaginary creatures, with criminals who wish to poison everything good in the world for their own selfish gain. I am shoved into a box with people I cannot relate to and I wish to leave this box."
While her arms previously stayed calm at her sides, Coda reached for the collar of her shirt so the button against her throat wouldn't keep bothering her. Agitating undoing the single button while she continued to speak, she shook her head to make sure the botton wasn't digging into her flesh any more than it had before.
"Labels like these dehumanize us. I see no point in them."
Blunt and as concise as ever, she didn't stop for a moment.
"However... I would like to suggest that I be referred to as one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet instead. I wish to be referred to as a portion of the single greatest threat to this planet today. We have warmed the planet on a global scale. We have displaced so many animals because we could not live without another lane on our highways. We have carelessly worsened the effects of the hurricanes that ravage our own cities and kill our own people. We have created the concept of monsters to make us feel safe but when we look into the mirror, we see something much more dangerous and much more real..."
She smiled softly, a rare sight to behind, and with a polite sweet voice, she said the next few words.
"I wish to be referred to as a human. I do hope it is okay."
Behind her words, you could sense a seed of sincerity behind all the bravado and the mysticism. She wanted to belong in the same category as everyone else. She wanted to feel like she belonged. Was that the whole reason she hated labels so much? You couldn't be too sure. It was just speculation, after all. Maybe behind the aura was a real person who just wanted to be accepted for who she was instead of being shoved in the same category as the one she deemed fitting of the criminals she mentioned before. It was admittedly hard to fight the intuition you had to keep calling Coda a monster, though.
"I am not much different than anyone else except for the fact that I am one of the best champions who ever stepped into a Redemption Wrestling ring. I will soon become the best. This will come with time. However, I must dispatch of Scotty Latimer and five others in defense of my Young Lions Championship before I can make such a claim."
Coda glanced at the championship slung over the bench, the sunlight shining on the silver front as the lions stared onward with ferocity.
"Matthew Shields has defended the Redemption Wrestling Heavyweight Championship a total of six times. Should I successfully defend this championship seven times or more, I would unanimously be considered one of the best within this company and this is my goal. I wish to grow stronger with each encounter in the ring and I wish to fight challengers stronger than myself in order to improve considerably when the final bell rings. It is a simple goal and it is a goal I seek to accomplish. It will not be easy. Nothing worth doing is ever easy, yes?"
"So tell me. Why is it worth fighting Scotty Latimer then?"
You caught the insinuation that Coda was implying beating Scotty would be easy and the way she said it so matter-a-factly with that unnerving calmness to her voice the whole time made it feel like a heavy punch.
"I do not care that Scott Latimer is a Lions Road Tag Team Champion. I do not care that Scott Latimer is the Seattle Pro Pride Champion. I admire these accomplishments, however, I acknowledge these trinkets mean nothing in Redemption Wrestling. You hold onto these items with such prestige like these championships will win this match for you when I know this is not the case. You tout the fact that these championships earn you wealth beyond my own paycheck but this wealth does not matter. You might have been a formidable adversary in Seattle Pro and Lions Road but here... You start at the beginning."
"You made the trek down Lions Road towards the Young Lions Championship like there is a connection when there is none. You carry pride over your shoulder when it comes right before the fall. This will be the most challenging match you have ever fought and while I might be confident heading into our match, I urge you... Show me why you should matter here in Redemption Wrestling. Show me what the Seattle Pro Pride Champion can do and I will show you the full power of the Young Lions Champion. I urge you to reach within yourself in order to show me the best performance of your entire life and should you be able to retrieve the Young Lions Championship from my possession in this case... Well, I will make sure you will have had to work for it."
Her challenge was clear. She wanted a fight and she didn't want Scotty to hold back an ounce. Part of it even sounded vague like she wouldn't mind if Scotty could win. If the man gave it his all and pulled off the upset against Coda's best, he would have surely deserved the championship.
"It is a shame Melina Garrison could not continue to speak for you, Latimer. These discussions I have had with her regarding this match far surpass any modicum of enjoyment I have had when talking with you instead. She was elegant in her word choice compared to you, thoughtful in an endearing false kind of way while you continued to repeat the same thing. You believe I am stuck in my own world. You believe you will beat me and you have said this countless times. No nuance. No wordplay. You simply shouted in my direction that I was going to lose like a buffoon while Melina spoke with a purpose in comparison. Why must I fight you and not her? It is a pity."
The disrespect poured from every inch of her. You knew she was capable of respect in the way she spoke to prior challengers like drien Cochrane or Alex Jones but she had no room for respect regarding Scotty Latimer nor Malina Garrison.
"Allow me to make something clear, however: I do not underestimate you, Latimer."
That phrase seemed contrary to every single thing Coda said about him previously. Where was she going with this? The thought toiled away at you as she continued speaking.
"All this posturing aside, I believe you are a much better wrestler than you are a conversationalist. This is not a challenging feat to achieve. I believe should you spend less time tweeting incoherent babble, it is obvious you will achieve much more within Redemption Wrestling than others believe you will achieve. I believe you have the capability to be a cornerstone of Redemption Wrestling, a reliable opponent for anyone who needs a body to toss around like a ragdoll. I believe you to be ready and willing to fight Anton Chase and John Blade on a constant basis and I believe on a couple rare occasions... You might even succeed in defeating them."
You were along for the ride as she suddenly shifted the gears once again.
"I believe you will be able to capture the Genesis Championship for one fleeting moment and then lose it shortly thereafter. I believe you might be able to earn a chance at the New Gen Championship just so you can fail. I believe you will do well against me but in the end... You will tap out much like the last Young Lions Champion. I have faith you will fight through the pain for a considerable amount of seconds like a true Pride Champion before your palm strikes the mat and you decide to surrender."
"This is generous."
She smiled with an unnerving chilling air, reaching around the back of the seat and gripping onto the wood as she glared into the camera lens again.
"I do not underestimate you, Latimer. I overestimate you."
As you watched Coda proudly tear into her next challenge, you couldn't help but feel even more excited to watch Redemption Wrestling's Convergence within the next coming days. You couldn't help but think she was coming into her own as the Young Lions Champion and the confidence she exuded made things all the more interesting.
"I am a human — the most dangerous creature on the planet and when this match is over, I will stand as not only the most dominant Young Lions Champion who ever held this prize but the most dominant person who ever stood in a Redemption Wrestling ring."
This was the first time she ever stated that she was better than the entire Redemption Wrestling roster and you couldn't help but think that included Matthew Shields and Kayla Richards as well. The implications of that fact were louder than her quiet voice would let on.
"컨버전스가 올 것이며 나는 승리 할 것이다."
"준비 됐어, 스카티?"
As Coda spoke Korean with a certain intangible harshness unheard when she spoke English, it wasn't clear what she was saying. You didn't speak Korean. A quick glance at the comment section below showed a quick translation of the words she spoke at the end of the YouTube video, thankfully:
'Convergence will come and I will win.'
'Ready, Scotty?'
Once the YouTube video faded to black, it reccommended Scotty's video that he uploaded earlier in the day as well as other Redemption Wrestling and West Coast Genesis stars talking about the upcoming Convergence. As you quickly clicked on another video, you were more excited for the major PPV than ever before.
