Post by Danielle Basch on Jan 27, 2018 16:04:39 GMT -5
Polliwog Park
Manhattan Beach, CA
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Our scene fades in with a wide shot of a park that slopes down toward a large, manmade pond, with a weblike network of concrete pathways carving through the bright green grass. Amidst the walkways, seated on a large boulder near the edge of the pond, West Coast Genesis South Bay Champion Danielle Basch sits with a loaf of bread in her hand. She reaches in, pulling out small bits of bread, which she then tosses outward toward a pair of mallards, who eagerly gobble down the offering.
She doesn’t bother to turn to look at the approaching camera. The crunch of a nearby clump of dirt is enough to make Danielle aware of the camera’s presence.
Danielle: You know, I could cut a promo from anywhere I wanted....
She tosses one final piece of bread out at the ducks, then pushes up from her rocky seat. She dusts a few errant crumbs from her clothes. No doubt the ducks would eventually take a break from their swim to claim them sooner or later.
Danielle: I could sit behind the desk in my office, dressed like I’m going to a board meeting. I could slip into a bikini and go out into my backyard, and cut a promo with my toes in the sand.
She shakes her head as she begins a slow walk away from the edge of the pond.
Danielle: Or, I could head on down to some television studio and have the crew construct some sort of stage, perhaps something resembling a generic talk show set like I’ve seen so many others do in the past.
While I have done the first two, that last one? Never in a million years.
She shakes her head. Cutting across a large section of grass where the concrete path splits into two directions, she walks toward a large concrete slab at the foot of a grass-covered amphitheater. She stares up at the various tiers of grass separated by short retaining walls and sighs, a nostalgic smile on her face.
Danielle: No... as the South Bay Champion, my sense of pride in where I came from won’t allow that.
It may not mean anything to anyone else, but my championship represents far more to me than just its designation as West Coast Genesis’s “secondary championship.” It represents a community of people that range from all walks of life. Whether it’s the graffiti-covered streets of Gardena to the affluent estates of Rolling Hills... the South Bay is home to the most diverse group of people you can imagine, and I am proud to be the one that represents each and every single one of them.
Danielle doesn’t bother walking along the sloping path that leads from the bottom tier to the connecting path beyond the top tier. Instead, she walks along the retaining walls to the left of the slope, slowly making her way from one tier to the other.
Danielle: But this Saturday, even though my championship is not on the line, I will still walk into this match as the Pride of the South Bay, and I will do so with my husband at my side. Now, Donovan and I aren’t exactly known for being tag team wrestlers, and that’s with good reason. From the moment Donovan and I started training together, we knew that at some point, the possibility of the two of us teaming up would come up. Granted, we didn’t want to face the fate of so many other tag teams before us... forced into a box where we’re viewed as nothing more than tag team wrestlers that are destined to never be taken seriously as singles wrestlers. Or worse, one half of the team gets elevated above the other, with the latter shoved off into the background. I’m not going to let that happen.
The only thing at stake this Saturday is bragging rights, really, nothing more. One couple, possibly the longest-standing couple in West Coast Genesis, against one couple still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Which pair will stand tall when the smoke clears?
Well, if I have anything to say about it, it’ll be me and Donovan standing with our hands raised in victory.
Tasmin, I may be the South Bay Champion, but there’s one thing you have that I can never lay claim to, and that’s the fact that you were born into a wrestling family. I am the first of my own family to step through those ropes. Hey, everyone has to start somewhere, and if this leads to Donovan and I becoming the heads of our own family line of champions, then so much the better, but I’m not basing my life around that. Right now, my husband and I are focused on our own careers, both in and out of the ring. Here’s a word of advice for you, and I say this only because you’re a good kid. Don’t rely on your family name to get you through this business. You’re talented enough to get by without it.
And then there’s Jason Hunter... you know, for a guy that has such shitty luck when it comes to Unscripted, you sure seem to think you're going to have an easy time of it in this go-round. But don’t think I haven’t forgotten about what happened the last time you stepped into the ring with my husband. You were left staring up at the lights courtesy of my husband’s Apocalypse. Your arrogance will once again be your undoing, Jason. It’s just a shame that when my husband and I walk away from this match with the win, you have to drag your girlfriend down with you....
By this point, Danielle has reached the topmost tier of the amphitheater, where her husband Donovan stands waiting at the base of a flight of stairs. He’s leaning against the railing with his thumbs looped into the belt loops of his jeans.
Donovan: Ah, there you are, Nixy. Ready to go?
Danielle nods her head.
Danielle: Yeah. You know, during the summer, we should come out and catch some of their summer concerts. It could be fun....
Donovan: I suppose we could make our way out here, provided we’re not doing any shows. But we need to get going; we’ve got less than an hour before our scheduled appearance at Fry’s Electronics.
Danielle: Here’s hoping you don’t decide to go on a tech shopping spree once we’re done....
Donovan: Good grief... a man reprograms one drone and...
Danielle: You fit the damn thing with an air horn and blasted me with it when I came out of the shower! I could hear you laughing from the other side of the house!
As Donovan laughs, the pair head off toward the parking lot as the scene fades to black.