Post by Aurora Graves on Mar 4, 2018 13:54:32 GMT -5
Le Club Fitness
14th Arrondissement – Paris, France
Just a few yards away from a flight of stairs that led to the upper floor, grunts of effort could be heard, along with the sound of fists drilling into a heavy bag. From a nearby Bluetooth speaker, “Those who Fight,” from the soundtrack for Final Fantasy: Advent Children echoed throughout the room. As Hannah Lacey moved around the room, bypassing other pieces of equipment in the gym, she finally stopped upon reaching the source of the sound, only to find a sweat-drenched Aurora Graves throwing a brutal series of blows into the bag in front of her. As the camera panned around to her face, the normally bright disposition was replaced with a snarl as she threw blow after blow into the bag’s black leather shell.
Aurora stepped back from the bag, her breath heavy from her efforts as she pulled one of the boxing gloves from her hand and brushed back the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her azure eyes. The snarl was still there, as if it was permanently etched on her face.
Hannah: Um... Aurora....?
Aurora didn’t acknowledge her at first; in fact, Hannah wasn’t even sure if she had heard her at all. And given who she was dealing with, the NGW interviewer was reluctant to try again to get the blonde superstar’s attention. Gradually, Aurora’s breath calmed down to a more steady, rested pace, and the expression on her face softened as she made her way toward a wooden box near the base of the stairs. She sat down, reaching for a bottle of water. Only after taking a long, refreshing drink from the bottle did she look up to acknowledge Hannah and the camera.
Aurora: Oh, sure... now you catch up to me. Now that I look like I’ve been spending the last hour in a sauna.
Hannah: Well, I can always come back after you’ve had a chance to freshen up...
Aurora growled, shaking her head.
Aurora: Nah, forget about it, Lacey. We might as well get this over with. I’d tell you to pull up a seat, but it would seem that the closest available place to sit is way over there....
She pointed across the way toward some unused gym equipment. Hannah looked over and shook her head.
Hannah: Um... I think I’ll stand, if it’s all the same to you.
Aurora looked down at Hannah’s feet. She was wearing white dress shoes with narrow heels that stood at least four inches... maybe five. She let out a soft chuckle as she looked up at Hannah and shook her head.
Aurora: You’re the one that’s gonna wind up with blisters at the end of the day....
She took another drink of water, letting out a satisfied gasp as she set the bottle down beside the box she was sitting on.
Aurora: I hope you at least thought to bring a pair of more... sensible shoes to change into?
Hannah: I keep a pair of flip-flops in my purse, but they don’t match my outfit.
Aurora burst into laughter, leaning her head back against the railing of the stairs.
Aurora: Oh, Hannah... you would chose fashion over function. That’s why most of my clothes are black. That way I don’t have to worry about whether or not my shoes match.
Hannah: Are we going to get down to business, or are we going to talk about shoes?
Aurora scoffed.
Aurora: You see, this is why I never fit in with the girls at my high school. Most of them were like you – absolutely no fun, whatsoever. But I’d just as soon keep this a business meeting as well, if it’s all the same to you.
Hannah said nothing, only nodding her head in agreement.
Aurora: Well then... you’re no doubt here to talk about my upcoming match with Jessica Sears.
Hannah: Indeed. After all, it’s the second round of the Global Cup. Already, you’ve advanced farther than you did in last year’s tournament. Do you mind telling me which country you’re representing this year?
Aurora: Well, if you had been paying attention, you’d know that this year, I’m representing my heritage on my father’s side – Ireland. You see, my great-grandparents moved to the States from Dublin when they were newlyweds. Eventually, they made their way to California, and set up roots there. And... well, you know the rest.
But I’ll be visiting my father's ancestral homeland two weeks from now. This trip is all about the so-called most romantic city in the world, Paris, and Round Two of the Global Cup tournament. Now, you’re right about the fact that I’ve already done better than I did last year, and I’m sure if he were still around, that chump piece of shit Jeremy Starling would say it was because I didn’t face him in the first round, but I’m going to say it’s because this year, you’re dealing with an Aurora Graves that is MUCH more focused than I was last year. Now, I have a daughter to fight for. Like any good parent, I want to go out there and show my daughter what she can accomplish if she stays focused and works hard at what she’s passionate about.
Hannah: Do you expect your daughter to get into wrestling when she gets older?
Aurora: If she does, great! If not, I’m not going to think any less of her. But seriously, I’m going to let her learn to walk first before she starts on any path. Now enough sidetracking; back to the tournament.
Hannah: Okay. In Round 2, you’re facing Jessica Sears, someone you say is a good friend of yours.
Aurora: You see, this is where things get weird. I’m not a Guardian, but I have friends in that stable. And yes, one of them is Jessica. Which is why I had you interview me instead of doing things the way I normally would. Because this time, I want to keep myself in the right mindset by talking to someone I’m NOT friends with. This way, I can focus on doing what I know has to be done, and not be distracted by friendship. Jessica knows how I am in the ring. She knows that in between bells, friendship gets set aside for the sake of business. The last time, it was back at Homecoming in a Triple Threat match. Now, there’s a shot at the NGW title on the line, so I gotta have a case of tunnel vision. My goal is to make it to the finals, and if I have to go through a good friend to do it, then so be it. She knows it’s nothing personal, so I’m not going to turn myself into a broken record and repeat everything I said to her last time. In fact, I’d probably have a lot more to say, had it not been for that Triple Threat we had a few months back.
Voice: THERE you are!
From the staircase, Aurora’s manager Alicia Perry standing there, dressed in workout gear, her arms crossed as a look of mild impatience took over her face. Spotting Hannah, she cocked an eyebrow.
Alicia: I was wondering what was keeping you, Aurora. I’ve been waiting up at the ring for the last few minutes; how much longer do you think you’ll be?
Aurora: We were just about to wrap things up, weren’t we, Hannah?
Aurora narrowed her eyes slightly at Hannah, who cleared her throat as she nodded.
Hannah: Yeah, I’ve got what I came here for. I’ll leave you two to your business. Aurora, good luck in the tournament....
Aurora smirked at Hannah as she grabbed her gear.
Aurora: I’ve been trained by a pair of world champions and Hall of Famers, Hannah. I don’t need luck.
Aurora and Alicia laughed as Aurora made her way upstairs. As she and her manager disappeared through the doorway at the top of the stairs, Hannah took her leave as the scene faded to black.
