Post by Aurora Graves on Jul 8, 2018 19:03:33 GMT -5
Shoreline Aquatic Park
Long Beach, CA
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
On a stretch of lush grass surrounded by a spiral walkway that led out to the rest of Rainbow Harbor, Aurora sat on a large black blanket, looking out toward the Queen Mary. Her daughter Ysera crawled across the blanket, dressed so that everyone that saw her knew that it was her very first Independence Day – a red, white and blue tulle tutu over blue leggings with red and white stars, a white onesie decked out with glittering stars completing the outfit. Ysera paused to grab at a discarded red and white headband as her mother moved to scoop her up.
Aurora: Yeah, I guess I should’ve known better than to expect you to keep anything on your head, huh, Yssie?
She giggled as she held Ysera in her lap, the bubbly six-month-old shaking the aforementioned headband as she happily blew raspberries. Aurora looked around, scanning the scene for any sign of her husband. It was dark, save for the lampposts that lit up the walkway, and the lighthouse that towered over everything within her line of sight.
Aurora: I sure hope Daddy gets back with food before the fireworks start....
Voice: Sorry it took so long....
Ysera perked up at the sound of her father’s voice, as did Aurora. Both Graves girls turned toward the source of the sound to see Damon walking toward them, a McDonalds bag clasped in his tattooed hand. He smiled as he looked at his wife and daughter before joining them on the blanket. Carefully, Damon opened the bag, pulling out a Big Mac, which he then handed to his wife.
Damon: Your Big Mac, Milady....
Aurora flashed him a half smile before leaning to Ysera and snickering.
Aurora: Listen to Daddy being silly....
She shook her head then began eating her burger.
*BANG*
Ysera startled from the sudden noise of the first firework as a stream of sparks launched into the night sky. Damon quickly scooped up his daughter, turning her so that she could get a better view as he pointed up at the sky. The stream of sparks erupted into a spray of glittering red, a light which reflected in the infant’s blue eyes. Ysera stared out toward the sky as one colorful blast after another lit up the dark blue expanse above the Queen Mary.
Damon: She’s absolutely mesmerized, Harley!
Aurora swallowed the food in her mouth as she looked at her husband and daughter.
Aurora: And you were worried...
She giggled again, leaning against her husband’s shoulder as the Graves clan watched the rest of the fireworks.
Vacation Rental
New York City, NY
Friday Morning, July 6, 2018
Aurora walked into the bedroom she was sharing with her husband, moving toward the foot of the bed to grab her suitcase. She set it on the foot of the bed, then stepped away to open one of the drawers in the dresser beside the bed. As she turned back around, Damon walked into the room, promptly tossing his gym bag next to her suitcase. He whizzed past her, grabbing a pair of shorts and a tank top out of another drawer before moving back to his gym bag. Puzzled, Aurora put a hand on her husband’s shoulder, as if to get his attention.
Aurora: Where are you going? We just got here, and you’re already shoving stuff into your gym bag?
Damon paused long enough to acknowledge his wife, then pulled a pair of wrestling shoes out from under the bed, stuffing them into the bag.
Damon: Oh yeah... you were in the other room changing Yssie’s diaper when he came up and asked....
Her curiosity growing, she tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes.
Aurora: What are you talking about?
Damon: Jason. Said he wanted to get in some sparring...
Aurora let out a mildly disappointed sigh as she sat down on the foot of the bed.
Aurora: I just got Yssie to settle down for a nap. If not for the fact that she gets cranky when she hasn’t had a nap, I’d go with you....
The disappointment quickly faded into a smirk. She chuckled softly as she planted her hands on her thighs.
Aurora: Damn... he doesn’t mess around, does he?
Damon shrugged, zipping up his gym bag.
Damon: Can’t argue with results, Harley. Especially not five Tag Team Championships later.
She pondered her husband’s words, nodding her head as she pursed her lips.
Aurora: I suppose you’re right. It’ll do you both some good. You’ve got the Young Lions match against Dean... Jason and Alicia have the Tag Team Trials Finals...
Damon sat on the bed beside his wife, leaning back with his weight supported by his hands as he gazed upward at the ceiling.
Damon: You know... part of me is really rooting for Alicia and Jason...
Aurora: Naturally...
Damon: And yet at the same time, you know what it means if they do.
Aurora nodded her head. Her eyes narrowed as she stared straight ahead. She bit her lip as she caught her reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall.
Aurora: That means they win a shot against us. Our manager and our trainer....
Damon: Coming after our own titles....
Aurora: An awkward situation, that’s for damn sure....
Damon: But nothing we won’t be ready for when the time comes.
He stood up, grabbing his gym bag and slinging it over his shoulder. Reaching for his wife’s hand, he gave her that subtle eyebrow arch that he knew drove her crazy. She couldn’t resist; she grabbed his hand as he helped to pull her back to her feet and into an embrace. As she wrapped her arms around his waist, husband and wife gazed into each other’s eyes.
Damon: What about you? You’ve got that rematch against Dead Eye coming up. Planning on a repeat performance?
Mrs. Graves flashed a coy smile as she chuckled under her breath.
Aurora: Well I certainly don’t plan on losing this time around...
Damon: Of course not. I know you’re going to do great this Sunday, Harley.
Once again, Aurora bit her lip. But this time, it was in response to her husband’s encouragement. To others – even those she considered her friends, he came off as abrasive as the coarsest sandpaper, but to her, he was nothing but supportive.
Aurora: At least I know I can count on you to have my back....
Damon: What are tag team partners for?
She looked deep into his emerald green eyes and smiled.
Aurora: Tag team partners....
Damon: For life....
Damon leaned in, drawing his wife into a long, lingering kiss, one that was only broken by the sound of loud, heavy knocking on the open door frame. Damon and Aurora turned toward the doorway to find their mentor, Jason Perry standing there, smirking at them.
Jason: I’d tell you two to get a room, but I know I’d be wasting my breath.
Damon and Aurora said nothing, though Aurora did stifle a giggle with her hand.
Jason: Come on, Romeo. There will be plenty of time for that later... assuming you don’t end up so sore that your hair hurts by the time I’m done with you....
Damon sighed, giving Aurora a quick peck on the cheek before following Jason out into the hallway.
Madison Square Garden
New York City, NY
Sunday Morning, July 8, 2018
The scene faded in with a sweeping shot of the empty arena, fully illuminated, with banners hung from the rafters promoting some of the superstars that would be competing in just a few more hours: Shields, Cochrane, Dead Eye, Miles, Sears, Matthews, the Perrys...
And two separate banners for both her and her husband Damon.
She stood in the center of the stage with her championship belt draped over her shoulder, scanning the sea of empty seats that sat on either side of the ramp, a deep breath filling her lungs as she took everything in. The camera panned around to capture her face, backing up as she started walking down the ramp toward the ring.
Aurora: There was a time, when I was much younger than I am now, that I dreamed of competing at Madison Square Garden.
Few places are as synonymous with legendary moments in sports as the hallowed ground on which NGW WrestleForce 2 will take place. It was on this very spot six years ago where “Devastator” Jason Perry made Bill Barnhart tap out to win the AWA International Championship.... Now, both of those men once again will roam these halls, but for different reasons. Barnhart’s? Tonight is his NGW debut bout. Devastator? Well, if fate wills it, he could very well be standing in that ring tonight with his wife by his side, holding the Tag Team Trials trophy.
She glanced upward at the banner showing her mentor and her manager, a small glimmer of pride flashing in her eyes. She knew very well that a win for Devastation would mean putting the titles she and her own husband had become synonymous with on the line in what would be the ultimate test of their abilities. The thought alone brought a smile to her face.
Aurora: But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. The fact remains is that some of the greatest moments in wrestling history happened in this very building, and at WrestleForce 2, I intend to add my own contribution to that list.
It was six weeks ago when I first stepped into the ring with the man known as Dead Eye, a man who is a legend in his own right, and emerged victorious. Was it a fluke? I’d like to think it wasn’t, but I’m sure a lot of my detractors will say I just got lucky; that, or Dead Eye was still in the process of shaking off the ring rust. In any event, I’ve got the chance to go out and prove that I can do it again.
But this time around, things are different. Business has picked up for both me and my husband. I have to step it up and show that I deserve to hold this title I have draped over my shoulder.
She patted the center plate with her free hand as she stared into the camera. By this point, she was about halfway down the ramp. The ring seemed like it would take an eternity to reach at the slow pace she was moving, but since there would be too much going on come show time, she was taking the time to savor each step.
Aurora: “But wait a minute, this is a singles match!” Yeah, and? As far as I’m concerned, that makes no difference to me. Singles or tag match, ANY time I go into a match while I’m a champion, I have a reputation to uphold as one of the best wrestlers in this company. To give any less than a championship-caliber performance any and every time I step through those ropes is to not be worth the paper my contract is printed on.
There’s a lot riding on this match at WrestleForce, Dead Eye. My gold may not be on the line, but my pride is. Tonight, the three most influential people in my career will be sharing that stage with me in some form or another, and I am not about to let them down. I respect who you are and what you’ve done in this industry, but at the end of the day, I know I can beat you.
She finally reached the ring, walking up the ring steps to the apron. She clasped the top rope in her hands, getting a feel for just how much give the ropes would provide during the match; just enough to help support some of the more... risky stunts that might be attempted that night.
Aurora: It falls to me show the world that I can do it again, and what better place to prove that point than right here, where so many other world-class athletes have left their marks in history?
She swung her leg over the middle rope, carefully ducking under the top rope as she pulled the rest of her body into the ring. She walked toward the nearest corner, climbing until her feet were perched on the middle turnbuckle. She took the belt from off of her shoulder and held it out in front of her, staring at her reflection in the center plate.
Aurora: Dead Eye, I know your last few matches haven’t gone the way you would’ve liked for them to go, but there is no way I’m going to let your own desire to win get in the way of what I have to do. So tonight, in round two of Dead Eye vs Graves... well, you already know what I can do...
She hopped down from her perch, the sound of her feet hitting the canvas echoing through the arena. With her back to the camera, Aurora stood there, staring up at the banners. The camera then panned upward, zooming in on the ones depicting Dead Eye and herself, before slowly fading to black.