Post by Aurora Graves on Dec 31, 2016 22:27:34 GMT -5
The Drunken Clam
Osaka, Japan
Saturday, December 31, 2016
It was the final night of 2016, and Redemption Wrestling’s newly crowned Tag Team Champions – Aurora and Damon Graves – were dressed to kill. Damon was dressed head to toe in black, his hair sculpted to perfection in his usual pompadour. Aurora wore a curve-loving black dress – the hem of which peeked out from beneath a black wool pea coat.
At first, the Graves thought the hotel concierge was pulling their legs when he told them that there was a place called “The Drunken Clam” in town, just a short walk off of the Shinsaibashi Shopping Street. And yet, they found themselves staring up at an awning that showed the same beer-guzzling clam seen on the front of the animated front of Peter Griffin’s favorite hangout. Aurora chuckled in spite of herself as she looked at the logo:
“The Drunken Clam – English Karaoke Bar”
Aurora: Well, this little outing just took an interesting turn. I hope you’ve warmed up your vocal chords, Puddin’!
Damon flashed a nervous smile at Aurora. She knew karaoke wasn’t really his thing, but he was more than happy to accompany her if she did the bulk of the singing.
Damon: Harley, you know I don’t sing. I sound like a frog that gargled acid-soaked razor blades, then deep-throated a barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat.
Aurora: You do NOT! I’ve heard you in the shower; you have a GREAT voice!
Damon: Okay, first of all, the acoustics in the bathroom are completely different than singing into a microphone. And second of all, I don’t have a hundred or so pairs of eyes staring at me.
Aurora: People better not be trying to peep on you in the shower... that’s for MY eyes only!
Damon scoffed as he held the door open for his wife, who smiled as she passed beneath the awning. Once Damon stepped inside, they ascended up the staircase. The bar itself was up on the third floor, and they passed a sign pointing upward to that effect along the wall of the staircase. A few steps further, and they passed another poster – this one boasting a graphic featuring the characters from Family Guy wearing New Year’s Eve hats.
Damon: Looks like we got here just in time... according to this poster on the wall, there’s a New Year’s Eve party tonight, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather ring in the New Year with, than my beautiful wife.
Aurora paused, turning to look over her shoulder at her husband, a flush of color filling her cheeks as she smiled.
Aurora: Puddin’....
Damon: So... does that get me off the hook for getting behind the microphone tonight?
Damon looked up at his wife with a mild sense of pleading in his eyes. Aurora’s smile turned into a cheeky grin as she shook her head.
Aurora: Only if “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” isn’t on their playlist. Otherwise, your ass is gonna be right there with me!
Damon: Oh, the things I do for love....
They finally arrived on the third floor, walking in on a sea of revelers from all over the world – expats from several different countries, tourists, and of course, locals. On screen, the lyrics for “Chandelier” by Sia glowed as a man who was clearly inebriated stumbled over the lyrics, his voice nowhere near on-key. Aurora couldn’t help but giggle.
Aurora: Oh, I get the feeling that if there was a chandelier that he could reach, he’d be swinging from it like a big, drunken chimpanzee....
Damon: Indeed. Hey, look... there’s an open table. Might as well snag it so we can see what the fuss is about, eh?
Aurora: Bonus; there’s a song book on the table. We can get a look at their playlist.
Damon: I guess if it’s unavoidable... but can we at least wait until I’ve had a shot... or 12?
Drunken Gaijin: ♪IIIIIIIIII’M GONNA SWINGGGGGGG... FROM THE CHANDELIERRRRRR....♪
Aurora: And you were saying YOU can’t sing?
Damon: And this guy is six – no, 12 sheets to the wind. He has officially shed anything resembling shame, and at this rate, his friends are going to have to scrape him up off the floor.
Drunken Gaijin: ♪No I’m just holding on for tonight, on for tonight...♪
Aurora: Homeboy better hold on to SOMETHING; he’s about to drop!
As the song ended, the crowd burst into a round of applause. Aurora and Damon wondered if the applause was for the man’s alcohol-fueled performance, or for the fact that it was over. Nevertheless, they watched as the man stumbled his way toward the bar, only to have one of his friends stop him. As Aurora and Damon took their seats, Damon shook his head as he watched the intoxicated man’s friends carry him out of the bar.
Damon: If I ever get that bad, you have my permission to just leave me face down on the floor....
Aurora: Nope. I vowed to love you whether you’re sober or shitfaced. Now, let’s see what they’ve got here....
Aurora opened the song book that had been sitting on the table and flipped through the pages, silently scanning the available songs on the playlist. Suddenly, she sharply pointed her finger at one of the songs, looking up at her husband with a wide-eyed smile.
Damon: Uh-oh...
Aurora: There it is! “Paradise by the Dashboard Light!” Should I go ahead and sign us up?
Damon got up from his seat, rolling his eyes as he headed for the bar.
Aurora: Where are you going?
Damon: Gonna order myself a Jack and Coke. If I’m gonna embarrass myself, I might as well go all-out, right?
Aurora: Bring me back an Adios Motherfucker!
Aurora laughed, shaking her head as she watched him walk through the crowd.
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
January 1, 2017
Aurora sat on a black leather padded bench, staring into two rows of empty lockers. The dull, beige walls were devoid of anything aside from an escape plan and a couple of signs posted reading “NO SMOKING INSIDE THE BUILDING,” or something that loosely translated to such a phrase. Even though it was the morning of the event, Aurora was still in street clothes – black denim jeans and a red velvet crop top under a black leather jacket. Her gear bag lay at her feet and her nails dug into the padding as she heard the footsteps of Hannah Lacey walk into the room.
Hannah: I’m sorry... I’m not interrupting anything, am I?
Aurora shook her head.
Aurora: No... I was just tossing around a few random thoughts in my head. Go ahead – have a seat.
She gestured to the length of bench to her left, prompting Hannah to take a seat a few feet away. After clearing her throat, Hannah began to speak.
Hannah: Alright then. We’re just a few hours away from the first episode of Glory for 2017. I know you and your husband have certainly had an eventful year, particularly the last couple of months.
Aurora: They say that the end of one chapter is just the beginning of another. And while the thought of kicking off the New Year with two tag team championship belts gracing my shoulders was a lovely one, fate had other plans. Still, I said that my husband and I would walk out of there with the Tag Team Titles, and wait – what is this that I’m holding right now? That’s right... the THIRD championship that we’ve won since we debuted as a tag team just under eight months ago. Three championships in three different companies; pretty much everywhere we go, championship gold seems to follow us.
But does that mean that Damon and I are relegated to just competing in the tag team division? Hardly. If you bothered to pay attention to the road shows – never mind the last few episodes of Glory – I’ve more than proven to the world that I am perfectly capable of standing on my own.
She smirked as Hannah looked on, expectantly.
Aurora: Of course, try telling that to that pompous douchewagon, Jeremy Starling.
Hannah: Starling... isn’t that some kind of a bird?
Aurora scoffed.
Aurora: Yeah... depending on where you are, they’re annoying little winged pests that eat bugs and destroy crops. This guy says he can trace his ancestry back to the Mayflower? Well good for him! Those damned birds his family was named after were imported from Europe, too. Tell me... what else did the pilgrims bring with them from across the pond? DISEASE!
A sneer twisted Aurora’s face momentarily, causing Hannah to lean back warily. Aurora cocked her head to the side, her lip still curled in disgust as she continued.
Aurora: Have you listened to this guy lately? Every time he opens that putrid maw of his, he’s bitching about how everyone is out to get him – how he’s being discriminated against because he’s “born better” or some other hoity-toity bullshit. Please... if he’s so damn great, then why the fuck is he three for five in this company? Seems to me that if he was anywhere near as good as he thinks he is, he’d be undefeated. Maybe – just maybe – the reason this stupid little choad isn’t getting the accolades he thinks he deserves is because the people he goes up against prove to be that much better than him. It just goes to show you that just because you have money, doesn’t mean everything you want will just fall into your lap.
Let me tell you something... if I could buy that walking shitbag for what he’s worth and sell him for what he thinks he’s worth...
She paused, a soft laugh slipping out of her mouth as she shut her eyes.
Aurora: Let’s just say that Damon and I could open up a whole chain of tattoo shops all across the country – hell, maybe we could even go global!
Hannah: Speaking of which, how is the tattoo business going?
Aurora: It’s going just fine. I’ve finally progressed to the point where I can do piercings, though I’m still just an apprentice. It’s nice, though; I actually feel useful at the shop... no longer just sitting behind the front counter, answering phones and setting appointments. But please, let’s stick to the subject at hand. I wouldn’t want this interview to seem like a shameless plug for the shop.
Hannah: Right. Getting back on topic, and please don’t take this the wrong way, but you look about as American as apple pie, if you don’t mind the cliché. How is it that you’re representing Spain in this tournament?
Aurora: Simple... the way the tournament is set up, you can either be from the country you’re representing, or you can have your heritage originating from another country. In my case, it’s the latter. Granted, I could have chosen between representing Ireland – for my father’s side – or Spain, for my mother. Since my mother was born in Spain, while my Irish side goes a few generations back, I opted for the more direct route. Regardless of which country I’m representing, I’m proud of my heritage, and I hope I do the people of Spain proud in this tournament.
Hannah: So I can assume that you’re not just doing it for the prestige?
Aurora: I’m sure as hell not doing this for the money! For Jeremy the Flying Vermin – I mean – Starling, this is just a hobby. Something he does on the side. He wants to talk about this match being an insult? Well, I find HIM to be an insult to this entire industry! Maybe he should stick to his corporate suits and his “raised with cash” bullshit, and leave the wrestling to those of us that do it for the love of the sport.
Hannah: He’s probably not going to take too kindly to some of the things that you’ve said...
Aurora gestured toward the rows of plain, beige lockers, each of them with their doors wide open, exposing the dark, empty voids within.
Aurora: Look inside these lockers, Hannah. Do you notice anything?
Hannah looked into the lockers in front of her and Aurora, unsure of exactly what she was supposed to be looking at. Puzzled, she turned back to Aurora.
Hannah: They all look empty to me....
Aurora: You see, that’s where you’re wrong. Inside these lockers, you’ll see all the fucks I give about that snobby little shit’s opinion. Let that littlegilipollas (loosely translated, it means “douchebag”) get angry that I’m not buying into his “born better,” narcissistic tendencies. He’s got that little... whatever that is... to stroke his ego until his head gets so inflated, it explodes. Anyway, she’s gonna have a LOT of inflating to do once he steps into the ring with me, and I let out all of that hot air.
You know, it’s a good thing Jeremy Starling was born with that silver spoon shoved up his ass...
Hannah stifled a giggle, but quickly composed herself.
Hannah: How so?
Aurora leaned inward, ever so slightly, her eyes narrowed as she focused on Hannah. A sick grin stretched across her face.
Aurora: Because that means when I make him eat shit, that silver spoon will make it that much easier. For me, anyway.
Hannah: Okay, then. Looks like you’re looking to set off your 2017 with quite the bang.
Aurora scoffed.
Aurora: Hmph. You know, it wasn’t that long ago that I left home with nothing more than my cat, my motorcycle and the clothes on my back. Look at me now... I’m a three-time champion, I’ve found the love of my life, and I co-own a successful business. I’ve had the good fortune to learn from not one – but TWO world champions, and I’ve met with some of the legends in this business. Meanwhile, my opponent – who up until recently has had everything handed to him – needs to come to terms with the fact that if you want something, you can’t expect to just throw some money around and get it. You have to actually get up off your ass and WORK for it. THAT is what has gotten me where I am today.
Fact: I’ve been a wrestling fan for as long as I can remember. Fact: I’ve been wrestling since I was 13 years old. Fact: I’ve got plenty of gold that can attest to just how good I am in that ring. And fact: in just a few hours, Jeremy Starling is going to learn a hard lesson in humility, when I knock his ass out of the tournament. Forget about bruising his ego... I’m going to fucking SHATTER it!
Hannah: Boldly stated. But then again, you never were one to mince words.
Aurora: It took you this long to notice? Hannah, you wound me....
Hannah: I wouldn’t dream of it. But I do have some other business to take care of, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to end this here.
Aurora: It’s as good a time as any... I have some warming up to do, anyway.
Hannah: Well, then I’ll leave you to it.
Hannah got up to leave, her legs making that embarrassing noise that skin often made when it slid against leather. She paused, cringing slightly, as if hoping that Aurora didn’t notice. As Hannah’s eyes met those of the champion, Aurora merely smirked before bending down to open up her gear bag. With a sigh of relief, Hannah left the room.
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