Post by Coda on Jan 26, 2017 21:38:03 GMT -5
SYMPATHY
DATE: 01.25.17
LOCATION: Unknown @ Kobe, Japan
CAMERA STATUS: ON / OFF
Once the video begins to play on your computer monitor, you spot a very familiar setting. The dark room was small like a closet while a single light bulb hung on by a piece of string. It wobbled back and forth, piercing the foreboding gray fog with every swing. The shadows adjust and shift as the light bulb continuously changes positions, and once the light begins to flicker, Coda makes her way in front of the camera.
The once pure white brick walls surrounding her were caked in dirt and grime, maybe even asbestos while that light continued to flicker like clockwork. This was the same place she recorded her last video, you thought to yourself. Those familiar cold eyes stared right through you as you patiently waited for her to speak while the harsh shadows from the pendulum light bulb danced across her face.
"This is what you were expecting, yes?"
The light bulb flickered faster now, still swinging back and forth against the eerie calm. Just as you were getting used to the atmosphere, Coda lifted a hand and snapped her fingers just as the light flickered to pitch darkness. An audible click was heard. Once the light seemed to function again, she hadn't moved an inch. Her clothes were the same, a brown collared shirt a little too long for her body clinging to her supple skin. However, when your attention moved to her surroundings yet again, you noticed something had changed. No longer did she stand in a dark and dingy closet designed to stir up memories of all the people who have been there before. Now, she stood in a location far less menacing.
LOCATION: Meriken Park @ Kobe, Japan
The sun reflected off the surface of the water behind her. It was beautiful. Your eyes met the horizon just beyond Coda herself, and as she smiled briefly, you saw a hint of humanity in her eyes. That wouldn't last long.
"You cannot always accept things at face value."
The way she spoke, methodically and with a purpose gave the impression that she was still cold and distant despite her surroundings. It wasn't an act, you thought to yourself. It wasn't a way she spoke just to unnerve people watching. Something was strange about her. Something was unique in her mind that you couldn't quite understand.
"Since the last fight against local Japanese hero Riko Takahashi, I have amassed somewhat of a modest cult following. People familiar with Redemption Wrestling speak of the woman who made a statement when she knocked the man out and then proceeded to pin him on his stretcher."
Coda's sharp eyes softened a little. It was almost like she was showing concern.
"For those of you asking, Mr. Takahashi is doing well. He is still receiving treatment for the wounds I have given him, but I have heard the doctors believe he will eventually make a full recovery. I do not know the validity of that claim."
"Regardless, it is a shame that his career needed to be significantly shortened simply because the majority of you voted that I proceed without mercy. It could be argued that it was the mass majority of people who wanted the man with a wife and kids to be sent to the ER, and it is them to blame for what has happened. It could be argued that the voting mattered little and that the same result would have occurred no matter the decisions of those who decided they were fit to decide his fate despite them not even knowing his name at the time."
Just as quickly as her eyes softened earlier, they were now as harsh as ever, piercing into your skull with a fury. The sight of the beautiful water right behind her made that chilling stare all the more surreal in juxtaposition.
"Who is to say which argument is correct?"
Some of her long reddish brown hair fell into her face from the soft wind. She smiled softly and brushed it away from her vision.
"The experiment is over. The time for fun and games has ended. You may have had the choice to decide what happens to a man who does not officially reside in the Redemption Wrestling roster, but I cannot afford the others a chance to walk free."
"I will give them no life raft. I will give them no escape route. Those unlucky enough to stand opposite me inside that ring will be forced to face the music. No matter my feelings towards them, no matter whether they are a contender, a challenger, or a champion, the same result will always occur."
"They will not leave the ring as they have entered."
The words gave you chills. There were no frills, no flowery vocabulary in the way she said those words. Instead, it was all a matter-a-fact like she believed there was no other possibility. You could hear a soft chatter just beyond her, a few pedestrians simply enjoying the view of the wide open water oblivious to the words she spoke while they spoke amongst themselves.
Coda just smiled softly, tilting her head just so.
"This is true for Alechs Aurelio & Honey, or 'The Young Cubs' as they now prefer to be called. Whether I like the conclusion or not, the same result will befall them. It is non-negotiable."
She began to think for a moment, the camera following her as she began to walk down the path while her delicate fingers trailed across the railing that separated her and the water. You couldn't help but draw similarities. Both were beautiful on the surface in their own way, but deep down the two were equally as dangerous. It was just as she said at the start. You cannot always accept things at face value.
"I will be the first to admit that down in The Trench - an independent and untelevised subsidiary of Insurgency Wrestling Federation - I was not known for my tag team prowess. To use an awful cliché, I do not often play well with others. However, '#LivingGreatness' Jeremy Starling stands as my partner on the same night he fights for the quarter-finals in the Global Cup."
"I intend to make sure my partner has more than enough energy to defeat Mikhail Reinhardt, even if I must beat The Young Cubs singlehandedly."
She continued to walk past several people, her index finger still gliding down the rounded barrier as she gracefully took each step while the camera kept rolling.
"If I were ever to choose a partner, it would probably be Jeremy Starling. We agree on most things, disagree on others. He insists on using hashtags and self-accumulated grandiose nicknames while I insist on the opposite. He believes that the rest of the roster is filled with mostly talentless filler who wouldn't know the meaning of hard work if it bit them on the ass. I agree with him in that regard."
"We are not a perfect match. Still... Individually, we have proven ourselves to be strong. It stands to reason that together, we may be nigh unstoppable."
She gave the camera a condescending smirk as another thought came into her mind.
"Considering the fact that against Mikail Reinhardt, Alechs' leg nearly snapped in the first round of the Global Cup while Honey could not defeat Courtney Leinart earlier this month? I would say that we will be fine."
The usually introverted woman spoke her mind with fury now, that disdainful look still firmly glaring into the camera lens. It softened some after a short pause, eyes looking down towards the cement floor as she continued her steady pace.
She stopped. Her hands gripping the bar behind her, she sighed heavily and continued to speak once more in a much more sympathetic tone.
"It is honorable to admit your fears, Alechs. It is more honorable to face them while knowing in your heart that it will not end well for you. I understand that you two have found little success as individuals, and so you hope to find some sort of solace in knowing you can achieve more together than you ever could achieve on your own, but... When it is Jeremy Starling and I opposing you, I am afraid that all that honor will be for naught."
You weren't sure if she was truly trying to be kind or not, but you could sense the obvious apathy coming from your speakers. Did she even realize it? Could she even comprehend how condescending she sounded, even when she wasn't trying to be? Maybe she was on the autism spectrum. Maybe something else was psychologically wrong with her. Or maybe that was just her natural personality.
"You two are good people. I do not doubt that. Regardless, success is not geared toward whether or not you are a good person, especially in this sport."
"I meant every word I have said. You two will not leave the arena unchanged. You will hurt in the morning. You will ache. You will suffer. Whether you want to admit it or not, that is what will happen regardless of whether or not you can come out with the victory. It is inevitable."
"I ask that you prepare yourself. I ask that you expect failure so you are ready. I do not just mean against Jeremy and I. I am talking about everything you have yet to do. Reality does not favor the plucky underdogs who have big dreams and bigger hearts. Reality favors the strong. Reality favors people like Jeremy Starling and I. It is a cruel reality, and some may say it is unfair. No matter what you think of it, nothing will make these facts untrue."
As unnerving as the advice seemed to be, you knew there was at least some kernel of truth to it. Whether you wanted to admit it or not, despite how harsh it may have sounded, it was true that having hope alone wasn't enough to get things done. In Coda's own way, she wanted to get that point across. It was just that her lack of social grace and her general apathy kept her from saying it politely.
"I would not hesitate to break your leg as Mikhail Reinhardt claims to have done because of a fine, Alechs. I would not settle for winning by count out as people such as Courtney Leinart and 'The Monster Massiah' Martin Karloff have been known to do as of late, Honey. I will not hold back. The public will not decide your fate, so I expect you two to not hold back all the same. Do whatever it takes in return to defeat us. It is all that I ask of you. Relying on anything less will not gain you the victory."
"So be prepared. Be vigilant. Be ready for what I am sure will be a memorable night for you two. And when you leave the arena permanently changed from the experience, I ask that you both spread the word of the woman who made it happen side by side with who I feel could easily hold the Global Cup in just a few short weeks."
As she took another step and began to walk towards a mass of people looking over a basket of fruit to purchase, she looked over her shoulder for one final note.
"Every single match I have in front of the Redemption Wrestling crowd should be considered a statement match. Mark my words."
You were inclined to believe her. Win or lose, you knew that she was right. With that, the YouTube video came to an end and you were left thinking about her words for the rest of the day.
__________
DATE: 9.17.04
LOCATION: Ann J. Kellogg Elementary School @ Battle Creek, Michigan
CAMERA STATUS: ON / OFF
The nurse's office was cold, a small well-lit room with a desk and a phone. Basic medical amenities were easily reachable should the time call for it, but today was different.
"Can you tell me your name?"
The nurse's voice was slightly shrill in nature, an older woman with wrinkles around her mouth with saggy eyelids and graying hair. The nine-year-old Korean girl didn't respond. Her body was tense, looking away from the nurse's gaze with her hands tucked in her lap.
"You can call me Nurse Jackie," she smiled. "I want to help you, but you have to tell me your name, sweetheart. I can call your parents and we can—"
Just when Nurse Jackie suspected that the young Korean with the swelled eye didn't know how to speak English, she shook her head back and forth. Nurse Jackie got down on her knees, eye level with the young girl. She looked away quickly, causing the nurse to frown in concern.
"Sweetheart. You have to talk to me..."
Nurse Jackie reached for her shoulder. The Korean flinched, squirming in her seat to get away from her touch. She was clearly frightened, her hands white-knuckling the seat itself by her sides. She was shaking. Nurse Jackie's eyes grew wide.
"Please. I'm not going to hurt you. Just say something, okay?"
The Korean girl didn't respond at first. She opened her mouth but immediately shut it once again. Tears started to fall, leaving small streams of water to drip down her fair cheeks. That's when a bigger kid walked through the door, holding the side of his head. He glanced at the young Korean girl like he knew her, fury in his eyes.
"Joey. What brings you here?"
Nurse Jackie was on her feet again, watching the boy with a short blonde crew cut sit down on the opposite side of the room with a distraught look on his face.
Joey pointed to the innocent looking Korean girl across from him and it was clear that it was Joey who gave her that soon-to-be black eye. From the looks of the way Joey held his head, it was fairly obvious that the silent girl who couldn't keep eye contact with the nurse was the culprit.
__________
