Post by Zasshu II on Dec 10, 2023 2:07:02 GMT
”Heiress to the Throne.”
{ She says with a little shrug. }
”What else is there to say? I’m in the Heiress to the Throne and to be completely transparent that’s a little daunting. I think everyone knows this but just in case any new viewers are clicking on this promo for some strange reason, the winner of this thing gets a shot at the World Title at Diamonds are Forever.”
{ She throws her hands up to emphasize that this is a big deal. }
”THAT’S HUGE!”
{ She says as she demonstrates with T-Rex arms. }
”I’m talking Donald Trump HEUGE! I’m talking once in a lifetime HUGE! I’m talking that this may be my one and only opportunity to fight in this tournament for my entire career and this year!? It’s single elimination!”
{ She says with a hint of exasperation. }
”No points, no second chances, nothing. You either win three matches or you hit the showers! That’s it! And that’s the opportunity I find myself with after about a handful of matches in the IWF. More wins than losses so that’s good but I just didn’t expect to find myself in this tournament this year.”
“Needless to say I’m a little excited.”
“And by that I MEAN I’M VERY EXCITED! I feel like a kid in the Toys R Us section of Macys! God that was a sad sentence to say. Am I really that old that I remember stuff that isn’t around anymore? Sorry, I lost track of my thoughts.”
“OH EM GEE!!!!”
“Heiress to the Throne. Three matches. One title shot. The biggest night for a female identifying professional wrestler on the IWF calendar. Diamonds are Forever is where so many legends have been made. The first, only and best of it’s kind. And I have a chance to main event that show.”
{ She nods her head then tilts it to the left like she’s trying to pop her neck. }
”Well I guess it’s time to put on my working boots because I am not about to let this opportunity pass me by. Sure, it’s been a weird couple of weeks. My master has kicked me out of the nest to see if I can fly and now I’m presented with the biggest opportunity of my relatively young career.”
“This ish is bananas.”
“But I’m ready, I’m willing and I’m able. This opportunity is the stuff dreams are made of. The Heiress to the Throne is the tournament every professional wrestler wants to be a part of and the one we all hope to win. It’s an accolade no one can ever take away from you. It doesn’t matter if your career goes down in glorious flames afterwards, you can always call yourself Heiress of that particular year. The best of that field. The one who went all the way.”
{ She holds up a determined fist. }
”So you can bet your sweet cheeks I’m in it to win it. I want to go all the way. I want that metaphorical crown on my head. I want that shot at Diamonds are Forever. I want to be the one to face and dethrone our often hard to locate World Champion, Brooklyn Maddrox. Me!”
{ She points at herself with her thumb. }
”But I know I’m not the only one who wants exactly that. All eight of us do. If you’re in this tournament and don’t want to go all the way to the finish line then you’re probably crazy or just pretending to be. So I know I’m not unique in my wants and desires. I know I’m not bringing anything new to the table in what I’m saying. I know we’ve all got our eyes on the prize.”
“This whole thing is going to come down to who wants it more.”
“We’ve got former champions up and down the brackets. Literal legends. Women who have done everything everywhere they’ve gone. We’ve got some of the best of the best in the business today and then we’ve got me, the odd woman out.”
{ She shrugs. }
”I’ve never won a championship here. I’ve never had a big career defining feud. I haven’t even wrestled a six star match. I’m the dark horse here. I’ve got the least credit to my name. Honestly? Everyone is probably looking at me and my match as a foregone conclusion. Zasshu the Second is stepping into the ring with Atara Raven.”
“A certified legend.”
“This is a squash match for Atara, a little warm up before she gets a real challenge in round two against Calaway or Rogers. Something to get her feet wet before she dives into the deep end of the semi finals. I’m sure that’s what the entire world was saying when that sweet graphic got dropped on X.”
“Everyone except me.”
{ She covers her mouth feigning shock. }
”Look, I’m fully aware the thing to do here is act like Atara Raven is this huge deal. I’m supposed to play the part of the awe struck up and comer against the legendary goddess that is Atara Raven. This magical, beautiful being who has soundly dominated every single promotion she has ever graced with her presence.”
“You know, besides the IWF.”
{ She shrugs. }
”I’m sorry, I know I’m not normally a catty bitch or whatever the PC phrase for that is but I have to be honest. When I’m stepping into the ring with Dawn Warren or Charlotte Shimizu I know I’m stepping into a fight. I know I’m getting in there with people who want to get to the top. I’ve stood across the ring from IWF legends, her name is Rowan and she’s terrifying. But Atara?”
“I’m failing to see what all the hype is about.”
“You won one match, a tag team match and that’s pretty much it? Like you’re supposed to be this larger than life thing that just blinds everyone else with how great you are but I’m just not seeing it. Yeah, I’ve watched you in other places wrestling circles around their so-called top guys but you couldn’t even properly lock up in a match against the Bueno Club.”
{ She looks from side to side like duh? }
”Bueno Club! You do understand those guys lose for a living, right!? Like, that’s literally their job description! They aren’t even listed on the regular roster! They’re listed on the special roster for the special people who are professional losers!”
“And you lost to them?”
“The GODDESS!?”
“The highness of high.”
“The almighty of the almighty.”
“Atara Raven couldn’t even get the job done against the literal worst the IWF has to offer and her first challenge in the Heiress to the Throne is me. And I’m the one the world expects to lose? Me? I’ve won every match I’ve had but one. I already hold a victory over Rowan. ROWAN! Who does that in their first year with the company!? And people are clickity clacking away at their computers about how Atara Raven is going all the way!?”
{ She face palms. }
”I’m sorry for Atara and her love sick fans but this isn’t going to be the walk in the park she’s expecting. I’m not her warm up match or the easy victory you expect me to be. I’m the real gosh darn deal and I’m stepping in there to make our resident goddess look like a complete and total amateur.”
{ Boom, fist explosion. }
”I’m sorry if that isn’t what you wanted to hear, Atara. I’m sure you’re used to the professional wrestling world practicing their gag reflex while they verbally service you but I’m the kind of person that gives respect where respect is deserved. And from everything I’ve seen of you in the IWF there isn’t much to respect.”
{ She throws her arms up like hey. }
”You came into this company with all kings of smoke up your butt, believing your own hype, thinking you were just going to steam roll your way to the top but you learned something, didn’t you? You learned that the IWF isn’t like everywhere else. We aren’t the easy street your friends made us out to be. We aren’t just some company.”
“WE ARE THE COMPANY!”
“We are where the best come to test their abilities. The people who make it here, the people who succeed, the people who have called themselves champions in IWF!? They’re the best in the world! NOT YOU! They’re the real gods and goddesses of professional wrestling. NOT YOU! They are what everyone else wants to be!”
“I commend you for sticking it out longer than your other misguided contemporaries. Heck, you’ve even taken all the losses in stride while some of the more glass housed among your kind have completely shattered.”
“You know who you are.”
“So round of applause for Atara Raven for stepping into the best professional wrestling company in the world and finding out first hand that she just doesn’t measure up and not immediately running away. Seriously. You deserve that round of applause. The IWF has opened its doors to some of the so called best the world has to offer and every single one of them ran away with their tails between their legs. They ran away to companies where no one is better than them. They ran away to their little kliqs, their friend groups, to where it was safe and they would never be tested for even a single second.”
“But you have remained.”
{ She shrugs again. }
”That I do respect. I don’t respect the ego, the hyperbole, the hype, the clout you throw around in the back, I don’t respect the way you act or present yourself. But I respect the fact you haven’t left yet. That means to me that maybe, just maybe you actually want to get better. Maybe you actually want to test yourself. Maybe you actually want to be the very best in the entire world and not just the very best according to a group of your closest friends.”
“Maybe.”
“The jury is still out. You’ve still got time to run away back to safer waters and wrap yourself up in the big security blanket of lesser athletes. This could be the match, the loss that sends you onto X in a fury complaining how IWF sucks because you didn’t win every single match you were in.”
“Or you could take a loss to someone you’d supposedly beat anywhere else in the world and try to get better. You could learn from it. Improve from it. Meet the expectations you set for yourself and then exceed them. You could actually act like the goddess you claim to be and come back from a loss that shouldn’t have happened and show the world you’re just as good as twelve people on the internet say you are.”
{ She holds up her hands. }
”You could do that but for some reason I doubt it. I’m sorry. I haven’t bought in on Atara Raven yet, if that isn’t already obvious. I haven’t been in this company very long but I’ve been watching long enough to know when someone is pretending. You pretend to care about us. You pretend to care about our titles. You pretend to care about continuing your legacy here. But your actions speak louder than your words.”
“And your actions have left me and everyone else wanting.”
“I could have gone anywhere else. There are any number of companies where I could walk in and be one of the best on the roster. I know that. I know how talented I am. I could be on top of the card in any number of promotions. But I don’t want to just walk into a company already knowing I’m better than everyone else. I don’t want to wrestle against lesser competition. I don’t want success handed to me.”
“I came to this company, to the IWF so that I could face the absolute best in the world. I wanted to wrestle the best female identifying professional wrestlers on the creators green Earth. And when I climb that mountain then maybe I’ll go ahead and try on the men.”
“That’s why I’m here. That’s why I fought for my contract. That’s what I want! I want to test myself, I want to push myself, I want to find my limits and blow past them like a Sayian!”
{ She strikes a pose similar to Goku about to launch the Kamehameha. }
”Why are you here, Atara?”
“What do you want from this company?”
“If it’s a walk in the park on your way to yet another accolade to hang on the wall then you’ve got a rude awakening coming your way. I’m coming into this match as the hungry young up and comer looking to add another “legend” to my list of victories. I’m going to give this my everything. I’m going to go harder than I’ve ever gone before. And I’m going to show you that there are no easy wins in IWF. I’m going to show you that everyone on our roster is elite. I’m going to show you that you’ve been a Goddess of nothing for your entire career.”
{ She takes a step back to loosen up. }
”Besides, IWF already has a God and he’s way better than you.”
{ She shrugs. }
”Here? You’re nothing until you do something and you haven’t done anything. Tuesday night you step into a ring with someone you probably consider a nobody. Well here in IWF? Even our nobodies are better than you.”
“Goodnight and goodluck.”
{ It’s been a little over two weeks since her master told her he had nothing left to teach her. He still called, texted but she couldn’t ignore that it all felt different now. She was no longer a student speaking to a teacher. He spoke to her now like an equal, only offering her advice if she asked for it. She didn’t feel ready to let go, to move on to the next level of her career. She’d been someone’s student since the moment she laced up a pair of boots.
Being somewhat on her own felt daunting.
He no longer offered advice on training, gym routines or sparring partners unless she pressed him. He truly cut her strings to see if she could do it on her own. She doubted herself almost constantly. Whenever she wasn’t training she found herself looking at her contacts. Considering calling one of her older trainers and asking them to take her on again.
But she walked away from them for a reason. They too had offered all they had. She learned all she could. Enough to know she didn’t want to walk their path in professional wrestling. She wanted to walk the way of the Zasshu.
The way of the outcast.
All her life she found herself on the outside looking in. As a child she was the weird girl who collected rocks. In high school she was the only girl on the wrestling team and while that seems like every boys wet dream, she wasn’t the apple of their eye. Nor were they hers. So it only made things more awkward.
After that? Well things didn’t get much better. She pursued her dreams, got into professional wrestling but it wasn't until she met him that she felt like she belonged. It wasn’t until she put on the mask that she felt like she finally found herself.
The mask offered her a freedom she’d never felt before. An opportunity to truly be herself. Without it she felt voiceless and alone. She felt like the outcast again. The girl on the mat that none of the boys wanted to wrestle. The girl looking for the perfect rock behind the swing set.
Which is why it felt so weird to sit in this bar waiting to meet the girl she matched with online.
She couldn’t wear her mask here, that would just be weird. Weirder than talking to a stranger online for a couple of days before agreeing to meet them somewhere and hoping their profile picture is actually them and they don’t have a panel van sitting in the parking lot.
But as she waited she tried to feel like she does when she wears the mask. She tried to find the confidence that the mask brought her. }
”Hey.”
”Hey.”
{ But she couldn’t. It all melted away as her date stood next to her at the bar looking just as beautiful as she did on her app. She wasn’t Zasshu in this moment. She wasn’t strong, confident or determined. She was that weird little girl again. }
”Can I just say I’m so glad you didn’t catfish me.”
”Me too!”
"Please tell me that isn't your panel van in the parking lot?"
{ She looked outside but didn't see a van. She turned back to see her date laughing. }
"Psych-adelic!"
{ The two of them laughed at the awful joke. For a moment she was that weird little girl again and that was exactly who she wanted to be. }
Being somewhat on her own felt daunting.
He no longer offered advice on training, gym routines or sparring partners unless she pressed him. He truly cut her strings to see if she could do it on her own. She doubted herself almost constantly. Whenever she wasn’t training she found herself looking at her contacts. Considering calling one of her older trainers and asking them to take her on again.
But she walked away from them for a reason. They too had offered all they had. She learned all she could. Enough to know she didn’t want to walk their path in professional wrestling. She wanted to walk the way of the Zasshu.
The way of the outcast.
All her life she found herself on the outside looking in. As a child she was the weird girl who collected rocks. In high school she was the only girl on the wrestling team and while that seems like every boys wet dream, she wasn’t the apple of their eye. Nor were they hers. So it only made things more awkward.
After that? Well things didn’t get much better. She pursued her dreams, got into professional wrestling but it wasn't until she met him that she felt like she belonged. It wasn’t until she put on the mask that she felt like she finally found herself.
The mask offered her a freedom she’d never felt before. An opportunity to truly be herself. Without it she felt voiceless and alone. She felt like the outcast again. The girl on the mat that none of the boys wanted to wrestle. The girl looking for the perfect rock behind the swing set.
Which is why it felt so weird to sit in this bar waiting to meet the girl she matched with online.
She couldn’t wear her mask here, that would just be weird. Weirder than talking to a stranger online for a couple of days before agreeing to meet them somewhere and hoping their profile picture is actually them and they don’t have a panel van sitting in the parking lot.
But as she waited she tried to feel like she does when she wears the mask. She tried to find the confidence that the mask brought her. }
”Hey.”
”Hey.”
{ But she couldn’t. It all melted away as her date stood next to her at the bar looking just as beautiful as she did on her app. She wasn’t Zasshu in this moment. She wasn’t strong, confident or determined. She was that weird little girl again. }
”Can I just say I’m so glad you didn’t catfish me.”
”Me too!”
"Please tell me that isn't your panel van in the parking lot?"
{ She looked outside but didn't see a van. She turned back to see her date laughing. }
"Psych-adelic!"
{ The two of them laughed at the awful joke. For a moment she was that weird little girl again and that was exactly who she wanted to be. }
Well howdy there pardner.