Post by Danielle Basch on May 19, 2018 19:34:22 GMT -5
Vacation Rental
Oakland, CA
Friday, May 18, 2018
Donovan Basch stares straight into the mirror that stretches across the wall of the gym, a vicious snarl on his face as beads of sweat roll down his temples as he powers through a set of lateral raises. As he lifts and lowers the massive dumbbells, his lips curl back, baring his teeth as his piercing blue eyes practically burn a hole through the wall. He’s so engrossed in his workout that he doesn’t even see that his wife, South Bay Champion Danielle Basch, is standing in the doorway, biting her bottom lip as she watches.
Danielle: Now there’s a sight I never get tired of...
Only at the sound of his wife’s voice does he take notice of her reflection in the mirror. He finishes his set, then puts the weights down on the floor by his feet. He sits down on a nearby bench as Danielle grabs a towel. She moves in beside him, straddling the bench as she dabs the sweat from his brow. The snarl has faded from his face into a smile as he gazes at his wife through half-closed eyes.
Donovan: Is that why you always come with me to the gym?
Danielle: Well, someone has to keep all those little gym skanks away....
She looks at him, half-jokingly, a playful smirk on her face.
Donovan: I think they stay away because you scare them.
He chuckles as Danielle’s face shifts to a look of feigned shock.
Danielle: Who, little ol’ me?
She scoffs, lowering her head. Suddenly, her mood sours.
Danielle: Besides, if I can keep up with your insane workout, maybe I’ll get a little more respect around the locker room....
Danielle shakes her head and looks away from her husband. Donovan reaches over, turning her face back toward his own.
Donovan: Danielle, don’t be ridiculous. You’re one of the hardest-working, most well-respected people on the roster.
Danielle stands up, walking toward the mirrored wall. She narrows her eyes, almost as if she’s disappointed at her own reflection.
Danielle: Then why is it that every time I wrestle, the critics make it seem like it’s a foregone conclusion that I’m going to lose? Everyone from my opponents to the people running the sports books are practically banking on me to lose.
Donovan stands up as well, grabbing her shoulders as he turns her around to face him.
Donovan: Listen to me, Nixy. How many times have you proved the nay-sayers wrong? Would you even BE the champion in the first place had you not earned the right to hold that championship? Would you still be holding that belt six months later if you weren’t worthy to call yourself a champion?
Danielle ponders her husband’s encouraging words, tapping her finger against her chin. She nods her head slowly before looking back into his eyes, a somewhat reassured smile on her face.
Danielle: Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just that... I look at some of the others on the roster, and they have this business in their blood. Some go back two, three generations, even. And then there’s people like me...
Donovan: Danielle....
She shakes her head again.
Danielle: People like me that start off watching, and getting the idea... “You know what? I think I can do that, too!”
Donovan chuckles as he walks off to a corner of the room, where the West Coast and South Bay Championship belts are resting on top of their gear bags. He grabs them both and returns to Danielle, draping her championship belt over her shoulder.
Donovan: And this right here is proof that not only were you right, but that you excel at what you do. Besides, every wrestling dynasty has to start with the first generation. Ours is only beginning.
Donovan’s hand moves down Danielle’s arm until it reaches her hand. He takes hold of her slender fingers as he raises her hand, chuckling as he looks at her wedding ring.
Donovan: That reminds me... you have a birthday coming up in a couple of months. I need to figure out how to top last year’s gift. Maybe a bigger diamond?
Danielle looks at Donovan, the playful smirk returning to her face.
Danielle: You’re kidding me, right?
Donovan: Try me.
Danielle shakes her head, giggling as Donovan leans in to plant a long, lingering kiss on her lips.
Later that afternoon...
We open with a close-up shot of the center plate of the South Bay Championship. Slowly, the camera pulls back, revealing the championship in all of its glory. The strap is suddenly pulled out of frame, prompting the camera to pull back even more, revealing the champion as she stands beside a white table, clutching the championship belt in her hands. She is clad in black denim jeans, with a hot pink t-shirt bearing an image of her silhouette, accompanied by the words “His Siren”. For a moment, she merely stares down at her championship, not paying any attention to the camera whatsoever.
Danielle: November 4, 2018....
Danielle continues to stare into the center plate, running her hand along the various grooves and ridges.
Danielle: That was the night I stood across the ring from two of my closest friends and competed for the very title I now hold in my hands. I fought through the best that they could throw at me, and I was rewarded for my efforts by the one thing that had eluded me since I started this journey five years ago...
Championship gold.
She tightens her grip on the championship belt as she shoots her gaze into the camera. Her brown hair spills over her shoulders as she tenses up her arms.
Danielle: And now, here I am, the longest reigning champion in not just the history of the South Bay division, but the whole of West Coast Genesis itself. Longer than Ruby Lance, and even longer than Julianna DiMaria. For just over SIX MONTHS, I’ve stood in that ring against friend, enemy, and everyone in between, and I’ve shown them what it means to be a champion. You, Tasmin Richards, were one of those people, so you already know what I’m willing to do to keep my championship.
Defiance flashes in Danielle’s bright green eyes as she drapes the championship over her shoulder. She steps forward, the heels of her boots clicking against the hardwood floor as the sun streams through the window, flashing against the metal of the championship.
Danielle: I have to say... I applaud you for once again fighting your way to a championship opportunity, but the question remains...
What have you learned from the last time we faced off, Tasmin? Will we see the youngest of the Richards family in yet another attempt to add to her family’s legacy, or will you finally stand on your own and come at me not as a member of a wrestling dynasty, but as a fighter in your own right?
She stops, slowly blinking her eyes as she reaches up and clutches the edge of the championship with her left hand.
Danielle: For what it’s worth, Tasmin, while I may not think too much about your taste in men, I know you’re talented. I know what you bring to the table because I’ve seen it before. You were right when you said how brutal this business can be, and yet you’ve still fought against the odds. You may be young, but I would never use the word “rookie” to describe you. Especially not when you grew up and saw firsthand what this business does to a person and you STILL chose to follow in your sisters’ footsteps.
But again, I challenge you... don’t come at me as Tasmin Richards, the baby sister of the NGW General Manager. If you’re going to come after my championship, then you’d better come at me just as I came at the champion before me...
If you want this title as badly as you say you do, then you had better be ready for a fight that could very well every other match on this card to shame. You’d better bring the best that you can possibly muster and crank that up to 11, because if you don’t, then I will once again do what I have to do to put you down and once again send you back empty handed.
Danielle stares hard into the camera, her defiant glare intensifying with every syllable that spills from her lips.
Danielle: This Saturday at Hype, the only thing that matters to me is making sure I defend my championship with the honor it deserves. I know what your boyfriend has a tendency to do, and I can only hope for your sake that he keeps that fat, ugly nose of his out of my business. Well, that, and that you give me the challenge I know you’re capable of.
Do NOT disappoint me, Tasmin.
She lets out a growl before storming straight ahead, pushing the camera out of her way as she leaves the room.
END