Post by Danielle Basch on Apr 7, 2018 13:25:02 GMT -5
Dockweiler State Beach
El Segundo, CA
Thursday, April 05, 2018
Sparks fly upward into the air from the bonfire as Donovan pokes at the firewood with a long metal skewer. Sand clings to the cuffs of his jeans where they had dragged through the beach on the way from the water’s edge as his wife sits down beside him. She hands him a can of beer, brought over from the nearby cooler.
Danielle: Hell of a day today, wasn’t it, Donny?
She rests her head on his gargantuan shoulder, a contented sigh slipping softly from her mouth as she pops the tab on her own can of beer. Donovan looks down at her, smiling as he opens his beer and takes a sip.
Donovan: Indeed it was. And I have to say, you were right.
Danielle raises her head to look at her husband. She returns his smile with one of her own, even as she tilts her head in curiosity.
Danielle: Oh really? How so?
Donovan turns to look out over the water. There is enough of a breeze that the water merely laps gently against the shore.
Donovan: Coming here was a good idea. It’s been a while since we’ve just come out and sat by a bonfire... our toes in the sand.
He looks down at their feet. His long toes almost like fingers as they move in the sand. Danielle’s toes, with their turquoise painted nails, barely peek out from the hole she had dug in the sand with her heels, sand spilling around the edges as the walls of the hole collapse.
Danielle: Not since the house on the cliff....
Donovan: Remember when we raced to the water’s edge? You dared me to try and catch you before you reached the water.
Danielle: And you DID catch me.
A playful smile forms on her face as she slowly blinks her eyes. Donovan nods his head as he takes another drink from his can.
Donovan: I remember. Granted, what happened afterward is something we can’t exactly reenact here, is it?
Danielle casts a quick glance over her shoulder. From where they sit, she can see up the hill to the main road, where a police cruiser starts to turn into the driveway that leads to the parking lot. She chuckles as she turns back to look at the ocean.
Danielle: Not unless we wanted to get arrested. The cops crawl this place like ants at a picnic. The only way we could get away with that now is if we were holed up in an RV, like the ones parked over there.
Donovan: I suppose, but that wouldn’t be as fun, would it?
Danielle: Maybe not, but at least we wouldn’t be getting sand in our underwear. Nothing’s worse than getting sand in your crotch!
They both laugh at the comment. Donovan tilts his can all the way back, draining it of its remaining contents before crushing the empty can with one mighty clench of his hand. Danielle watches, an impressed smile spreading across her face.
Danielle: That Sela bitch doesn’t know what she’s getting into this Saturday.
Donovan: She is not your concern this week. You have a title defense to worry about. I will deal with Sela... whatever her name is... myself.
Donovan scoffs at the mention of his own opponent for Hype, throwing out his hand in a dismissive gesture. Danielle confidently smiles as she slips her arm around his.
Danielle: Oh, I know you will, Spidey.
Donovan: So... how long do you think it’ll take for them to find us?
Danielle: Well, unless they hacked into our security system and were using it to spy on us, I doubt they’d think to look for us here.
Donovan: They don’t strike me as being too... savvy when it comes to computers, never mind a home automation system I programmed myself, but who knows?
As soon as the words leave his mouth, his eyes open wide, as if the mere visualization is enough to make him cringe. He quickly shakes it off, however, once his bride drapes his arm around her.
Donovan: On second thought, best not to think about that.
Danielle: Yeah... let’s just enjoy the peace and quiet for now.
Donovan nods his head as Danielle settles into her husband’s embrace, and the pair continue to stare off toward the horizon.
Basch Estate
Oceanside, CA
April 6, 2018
The camera fades in with a tight shot of an intricately carved mahogany picture frame that shows an image of Danielle and Donovan Basch on the night Donovan became the WCG West Coast Champion, holding their respective championships in the air. As the camera pulls back, we find the lady of the house, Danielle Basch standing beside the picture frame, which hangs on a wall in what appears to be their game room. Gracing Danielle’s shoulder is the South Bay Championship. The longest reigning South Bay Champion looks into the camera and smiles.
Danielle: Well, this is an interesting turn of events...
She steps away from the frame, running her free hand along the red and black pool table that dominates the floor space in front of her.
Danielle: I come off of defending my championship at Unscripted just a couple of weeks ago, and I find myself facing a.. bit of a familiar face in my next defense. And while I haven’t really had much interaction with Keiji Sujiwara during his first run in West Coast Genesis, I’m sure he’s noticed that a lot has changed since he was last part of the locker room. Especially me.
The smile fades from the champion’s face, leaving behind a friendly, yet mildly amused smirk.
Danielle: Now, some might think the whole “I wrestled a bear” bit is funny, but it shows me that you’re not taking this match as seriously as you should, Keiji. I mean... for someone that calls himself “The Last Emperor,” I would expect I’d be stepping into the ring with someone that can back up such a moniker...
Danielle’s smirk gets a little bigger as the words leave her mouth. It would seem that as a result off her time with Donovan, she’s begun to use words that he would normally be more likely to utter. She shrugs her shoulders, arching her eyebrows a bit before continuing.
Danielle: Don’t get me wrong; there’s certainly nothing wrong with cracking a few jokes here and there, but you’re coming after my South Bay Championship, Keiji; I’d expect a little more out of you than “I doubt she’s going to be nearly as much fun to wrestle.” If it’s fun you’re looking for, then you might want to try an amusement park. If you’re going to be coming after MY championship, then you need to realize that “fun” isn’t going to factor into anything. I take being a champion VERY seriously, and if my opponent can’t do the same, then well, I can tell you right now, you won’t be having any fun at all. And for that matter, neither will I.
She stares into the camera, a determined gleam in her eyes as she grips the center medallion of her championship belt.
Danielle: I want to make one thing clear, Keiji. I have no legitimate beef with you, but since you’re coming after my championship, I have to do what I can to make sure the South Bay Championship stays right where it is, and that’s draped over the shoulder of the South Bay Siren. And as with every other challenger that’s come before you, you’re more than welcome to step up and try to take it. Just know that I’m going to make sure that you don’t succeed.
Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’re my worst enemy, my best friend, or if you fall anywhere between the two ends of the spectrum. When you step into the ring with the South Bay Siren, I WILL drag you down to the depths.
Danielle flashes one final narrow-eyed stare into the camera before leaving the room, cutting off the light. Just off-screen, a faint glow can be seen. The camera pans to the left to find a large fish tank. As it zooms in on the tank, where at the bottom, we see a wrecked ship with a mermaid sitting on the base of the ship’s bowsprit. With that, we fade to black.