Post by Moonlight Rose on May 23, 2023 21:50:27 GMT -5
April 30th, 2023.
11:39 PM.
Post Paradigm Championship match.
The eye holes of my mask are soaked in blood and tears, the same ones that tried to stream down my face. The ones that started when the ref told me I had lost. I watched Brooke prance around the ring with my title, her music playing through the sound stage. The ringing in my ears just picking up the boss's song, strutting out to the ring with a velvet bag with a brand new title in it, Brooke hands my title to a stagehand who rush's it to the back… to throw it away forever, my legacy. Brooke raises that new belt high… not the title she beat me for but a fake.
Strader doesn't look my way, sitting on the apron waiting for approval that never came. She just cared about her new toy, the new hotness was a girl who looked like every girl, nothing special. I stormed through the cheers in gorilla position, tears still rushing into my face fabric. I locked eyes with Mike, headphones half off his face running the show behind the monitors, he saw it. The look of despair.
So now I stand in front of Strader’s office, waiting for her to come back. Tears drying my eyes shut.
“Kid? You alright?” Strader looks generally concerned.
“Boss i want-” I stifle some tears, and a sniffle.
“I want to talk to you about some stuff.”
“I get it, you're upset I really do get it. But you need to have a shower and take a breath. Your angry and you need to just relax.”
“I want a rematch, maybe at the next show, I feel like it was close and I was one mistake away from winning… or… sorry, I made one mistake and I lost.” trying to hold back completely breaking down, trying to stay profession i stumble over almost every word.
She puts a hand on my shoulder.
“Emiko, you need some time to process this, because right now you're too pumped up. You are not in a position-”
“Maybe next Pay Per View I can take her on again, and then next show I can have a… a…I can…”
I don't know what I was thinking, probably nothing at all. But i just melted into a heap on the floor, sobbing.
“Emiko come on kid…
Emiko
EMIKO!”
My forearm stings, bad.
My vision starts to clear, and I look down… at the trainee, whose nose I just broke with my forearm. Yelling in agony with blood leaking from his face staining the mat.
“You outta your mind!?”
Easton rushes into the ring, bundle of towels in his hand trying to stop the bleeding on his face, i don't really know… what his name is. I look around the ring, taking in all the trainees… looking at me.
“What?...” I ask, raising my shoulders.
“What did I do?” Looking around at my classmates, No… to say classmates would mean we are equal, I look down at lesser than wrestlers to be.
“WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO WRONG?!”
I hear Easton shout from the bathroom. “Hey! You need a fucking break? take 10 and figure it the fuck out.”
I step through the ropes and loosen the strings on my mask, trying to just take a couple breaths. Driving my shoulder through the first person in my way.
“Watch yourself.” I pull the mask off my face as I stare down at the student I just barrelled over. I pass the trophy case set up near the front door, inside is a picture of Easton's first win in OCW. A roll up against a girl named Sadie. Next to it is my first win, against Axis… Axis, Axis again. I'm the center, taking up all the attention is the OCW paradigm championship, my biggest fucking disaster staring my in the face every single day for the last week.
Easton walks up to me from the side, trying to grab my attention… that I don’t really want to give him.
“You can’t beat up my students, you want this place to stay active?”
“He stiffed me…”
Easton shoves my shoulder… not hard, but enough to turn my body around.
“Fuck’ does that mean? Stiffed you?”
“I’m on a fucking contract, can’t have people here especially taking chucks out of me before shows.”
I can feel his eyes trying to pierce daggers into my heart but I’ve gotten good at hiding things from him.
“Who are you?”
My eyes shoot towards him.
“Excuse me?”
“Who are you? Because you're not the same girl who walked into my gym begging for free lessons, who hopped into the ring every chance she got. Where did that girl-“
“Don't start Easton! She got chewed up and spit out by the real world Easton. The fact that I even have to answer this question should tell you all I need to know about you. Maybe everyone’s right about you.”
“And what do people say about me?”
I hesitate, maybe I can change the subject.
“You got the scouting report on Axis?”
“Oh? So I’m the real world you get cheat sheets about opponents from your teacher. You wanna act like a brat, I'll teach you like one.”
“Can you stop acting like an asshole and forget about this whole thing?”
He just looks at me, then towards the case. I follow his vision.
“You could have been a great champion kid, but you got so caught up in the lights you stopped having fun.”
I don’t know what it was, the tone… or the disrespect. But I feel like I’m about to snap.
Yup.
Snapping.
Right now.
I reach over to my left and pick up a rolling office chair used for the front desk and throw it directly into the glass of the trophy case, shattering it. I reach through and grab the championship title.
“What the fuck Emiko?!”
I storm out the front door, dragging the belt along the floor, and as I leave I toss it into the parking lot breaking off the side plates. Its metal sparks against the asphalt. The leather ripping at the stitches.
It’s almost therapeutic to see the embodiment of my struggles shatter on the ground.
“Done…?”
I turn around to see Easton staring in shock, I step up to him. Still clutching my mask in my left hand.
“Don’t put anything with my name on it in that fucking case, unless it says “World” before it says “Champion””
I walk away with tears welling up in my eyes. I can hear the door to the gym close and lock me out, rounding the corner to the street it’s a long walk home. That’s good, because I need to think.
Am I a bad person?
~~~
Moonlight Rose sits atop the throne of thorns with flowers blooming along the stems, an over exaggerated crown on her head and a sceptre made of gold and diamonds. Her mask looks sparkling with expensive gemstones.
35 days, 21 hours… and for about 16 minutes, i held the OCW Paradigm championship in my hands, around my waist… When you lose a title, they give you a replica. Something to throw on the trophy case to remember the reign by. Mine came in the mail on the 10th and I kind of just let it sit in the box near the front door. I don't want to take it out because I don't wanna look at it. I don't want to be reminded of it. Not yet. I think at a certain point ill look back on it and be proud of the fact that I won my first title in a Go Kart race then lost in my first real wrestling match, that… that's something to be proud of.
Axis I don’t envy you… your position to be more specific. Because if I had to step into the ring with a fireball I would be terrified. You’ve felt this heat before man and you still wanna try again? Brave, but stupid. Last time I was perfect, speed and strength more than you could imagine, and I’ve only gotten stronger and faster since we last locked up. I appreciate stepping up Ax but your gonna end up embarrassing yourself… again.
You're a real competitor Axis, a true measuring stick and a damn fine gatekeeper but if I’m being brutally honest that’s all you will ever be or even deserve. I’m a future multiple time world champion, I’ll hold every title there is to hold and break every record, but you… gosh, maybe you could settle for the margarita mix if you find somebody to carry you to the finals.
Rose laughs. Humouring herself as she leans back into the throne. The camera pans out to reveal a sea of people kneeling down, black and green armour. They seem to be knights.
OCW IS MY WORLD. Everybody else needs to realise I’m allowing them to live in it. I put my blood into the foundation of this place, when it was the trendy thing to leave I stuck my feet in the ground and toughed out the dark times. Speaking of leaving… long stretch of time where you just took off. Around November… is that because you were embarrassed you tried to call a 17 year old hot? Or just embarrassed that you let that same 17 year old drag your dog ass through the mud. What I'm trying to say is that after you lose, maybe you should quit again and leave for 6 months, because I doubt the people are gonna want to see you anymore.
Savor this chance, make it worth your time. Because the boss lady is gonna see that you are not ready to step up to the big lights.
Regular old match, no bullshit ropes or KO excuses. Your cooked Ax. Sorry I had to be the one to tell you.
Rose stands as servants come and relieve her of her scepter and cloak, as the knights stand and cover her with applause, as she laughs wildly.
Fade to Black.
11:39 PM.
Post Paradigm Championship match.
The eye holes of my mask are soaked in blood and tears, the same ones that tried to stream down my face. The ones that started when the ref told me I had lost. I watched Brooke prance around the ring with my title, her music playing through the sound stage. The ringing in my ears just picking up the boss's song, strutting out to the ring with a velvet bag with a brand new title in it, Brooke hands my title to a stagehand who rush's it to the back… to throw it away forever, my legacy. Brooke raises that new belt high… not the title she beat me for but a fake.
Strader doesn't look my way, sitting on the apron waiting for approval that never came. She just cared about her new toy, the new hotness was a girl who looked like every girl, nothing special. I stormed through the cheers in gorilla position, tears still rushing into my face fabric. I locked eyes with Mike, headphones half off his face running the show behind the monitors, he saw it. The look of despair.
So now I stand in front of Strader’s office, waiting for her to come back. Tears drying my eyes shut.
“Kid? You alright?” Strader looks generally concerned.
“Boss i want-” I stifle some tears, and a sniffle.
“I want to talk to you about some stuff.”
“I get it, you're upset I really do get it. But you need to have a shower and take a breath. Your angry and you need to just relax.”
“I want a rematch, maybe at the next show, I feel like it was close and I was one mistake away from winning… or… sorry, I made one mistake and I lost.” trying to hold back completely breaking down, trying to stay profession i stumble over almost every word.
She puts a hand on my shoulder.
“Emiko, you need some time to process this, because right now you're too pumped up. You are not in a position-”
“Maybe next Pay Per View I can take her on again, and then next show I can have a… a…I can…”
I don't know what I was thinking, probably nothing at all. But i just melted into a heap on the floor, sobbing.
“Emiko come on kid…
Emiko
EMIKO!”
My forearm stings, bad.
My vision starts to clear, and I look down… at the trainee, whose nose I just broke with my forearm. Yelling in agony with blood leaking from his face staining the mat.
“You outta your mind!?”
Easton rushes into the ring, bundle of towels in his hand trying to stop the bleeding on his face, i don't really know… what his name is. I look around the ring, taking in all the trainees… looking at me.
“What?...” I ask, raising my shoulders.
“What did I do?” Looking around at my classmates, No… to say classmates would mean we are equal, I look down at lesser than wrestlers to be.
“WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO WRONG?!”
I hear Easton shout from the bathroom. “Hey! You need a fucking break? take 10 and figure it the fuck out.”
I step through the ropes and loosen the strings on my mask, trying to just take a couple breaths. Driving my shoulder through the first person in my way.
“Watch yourself.” I pull the mask off my face as I stare down at the student I just barrelled over. I pass the trophy case set up near the front door, inside is a picture of Easton's first win in OCW. A roll up against a girl named Sadie. Next to it is my first win, against Axis… Axis, Axis again. I'm the center, taking up all the attention is the OCW paradigm championship, my biggest fucking disaster staring my in the face every single day for the last week.
Easton walks up to me from the side, trying to grab my attention… that I don’t really want to give him.
“You can’t beat up my students, you want this place to stay active?”
“He stiffed me…”
Easton shoves my shoulder… not hard, but enough to turn my body around.
“Fuck’ does that mean? Stiffed you?”
“I’m on a fucking contract, can’t have people here especially taking chucks out of me before shows.”
I can feel his eyes trying to pierce daggers into my heart but I’ve gotten good at hiding things from him.
“Who are you?”
My eyes shoot towards him.
“Excuse me?”
“Who are you? Because you're not the same girl who walked into my gym begging for free lessons, who hopped into the ring every chance she got. Where did that girl-“
“Don't start Easton! She got chewed up and spit out by the real world Easton. The fact that I even have to answer this question should tell you all I need to know about you. Maybe everyone’s right about you.”
“And what do people say about me?”
I hesitate, maybe I can change the subject.
“You got the scouting report on Axis?”
“Oh? So I’m the real world you get cheat sheets about opponents from your teacher. You wanna act like a brat, I'll teach you like one.”
“Can you stop acting like an asshole and forget about this whole thing?”
He just looks at me, then towards the case. I follow his vision.
“You could have been a great champion kid, but you got so caught up in the lights you stopped having fun.”
I don’t know what it was, the tone… or the disrespect. But I feel like I’m about to snap.
Yup.
Snapping.
Right now.
I reach over to my left and pick up a rolling office chair used for the front desk and throw it directly into the glass of the trophy case, shattering it. I reach through and grab the championship title.
“What the fuck Emiko?!”
I storm out the front door, dragging the belt along the floor, and as I leave I toss it into the parking lot breaking off the side plates. Its metal sparks against the asphalt. The leather ripping at the stitches.
It’s almost therapeutic to see the embodiment of my struggles shatter on the ground.
“Done…?”
I turn around to see Easton staring in shock, I step up to him. Still clutching my mask in my left hand.
“Don’t put anything with my name on it in that fucking case, unless it says “World” before it says “Champion””
I walk away with tears welling up in my eyes. I can hear the door to the gym close and lock me out, rounding the corner to the street it’s a long walk home. That’s good, because I need to think.
Am I a bad person?
~~~
Moonlight Rose sits atop the throne of thorns with flowers blooming along the stems, an over exaggerated crown on her head and a sceptre made of gold and diamonds. Her mask looks sparkling with expensive gemstones.
35 days, 21 hours… and for about 16 minutes, i held the OCW Paradigm championship in my hands, around my waist… When you lose a title, they give you a replica. Something to throw on the trophy case to remember the reign by. Mine came in the mail on the 10th and I kind of just let it sit in the box near the front door. I don't want to take it out because I don't wanna look at it. I don't want to be reminded of it. Not yet. I think at a certain point ill look back on it and be proud of the fact that I won my first title in a Go Kart race then lost in my first real wrestling match, that… that's something to be proud of.
Axis I don’t envy you… your position to be more specific. Because if I had to step into the ring with a fireball I would be terrified. You’ve felt this heat before man and you still wanna try again? Brave, but stupid. Last time I was perfect, speed and strength more than you could imagine, and I’ve only gotten stronger and faster since we last locked up. I appreciate stepping up Ax but your gonna end up embarrassing yourself… again.
You're a real competitor Axis, a true measuring stick and a damn fine gatekeeper but if I’m being brutally honest that’s all you will ever be or even deserve. I’m a future multiple time world champion, I’ll hold every title there is to hold and break every record, but you… gosh, maybe you could settle for the margarita mix if you find somebody to carry you to the finals.
Rose laughs. Humouring herself as she leans back into the throne. The camera pans out to reveal a sea of people kneeling down, black and green armour. They seem to be knights.
OCW IS MY WORLD. Everybody else needs to realise I’m allowing them to live in it. I put my blood into the foundation of this place, when it was the trendy thing to leave I stuck my feet in the ground and toughed out the dark times. Speaking of leaving… long stretch of time where you just took off. Around November… is that because you were embarrassed you tried to call a 17 year old hot? Or just embarrassed that you let that same 17 year old drag your dog ass through the mud. What I'm trying to say is that after you lose, maybe you should quit again and leave for 6 months, because I doubt the people are gonna want to see you anymore.
Savor this chance, make it worth your time. Because the boss lady is gonna see that you are not ready to step up to the big lights.
Regular old match, no bullshit ropes or KO excuses. Your cooked Ax. Sorry I had to be the one to tell you.
Rose stands as servants come and relieve her of her scepter and cloak, as the knights stand and cover her with applause, as she laughs wildly.
Fade to Black.