Post by Icon Lady Eva Hikari on Jun 14, 2015 12:49:38 GMT -6
It was a tarnished trinket…..scratched, discoloured and with more than a few small dents. The leather belt was no better, scratched and cracked it had been worn and fought over by some of the biggest names in the wrestling world. It rested now on the lap of the current champion, though a self confession champion in name alone. A black painted nail traces the name plate as her attention finally shifts to the camera. It seemed almost like an invasion, a rare moment of quiet and calm for a woman who spent a lifetime in chaos. She was more than used to those by now though, and with barely a flicker to her calm exterior she took a slow, deep breath. Her elaborate corset and make up made it clear she was fresh from a promotional shoot, she was picture perfect. Only the look in her eye to those who really knew her told you more.
You know……I was going to do a big elaborate skit. With a set, a stage…… the whole cemetery set up. I was going to put up a headstone and bury this belt for good, but looking at it…..looking at some of the people who have held and fought over this title. It would be a bigger mark of disrespect than what’s happening with it right now. I’ve been accused of using my husband’s name in the past to pull strings and open doors. If I really had any of that rumoured Corbin sway, do you really think this title would still be active? With the roster in the current state it is and the title scene this decaying, do you really think I’d have let it stand if I could stop it? I’m a skilled athlete, an Icon, I’ve done some amazing things, learned some mind blowing skills on the long road it took to get to GZW…..Necromancy unfortunately wasn’t one of them. I can draw crowds and inspire talent, sure……but some folk are just beyond help. So I’ll make my request on air, voice it to the masses and hope the power of the people has more impact than one lone Iconic voice. We don’t need the Women’s title……not that most folk are even aware of who the current champion is. One of the biggest things that sets this company apart from the rest of the big unmentionable worlds out there, is that the girls and guys are treated equally. You fight the same, you work the same, you can reach just as high as they can and you are treated exactly the same. A belt that segregates doesn’t do a whole lot to push the ideas that first brought me here. It’s not my belt though and it never will be…….but being the best of the best isn’t gender specific. My title, the Intercontinental belt is faring just as well though. We don’t have the active numbers to create interesting feuds and so it is left to languish. You want to blame me for that, then go nuts, I’ll go throw down the gauntlet to the developmental roster while I’m at it……you know, just to create some buzz. If there’s any respect left in this industry, any decency and honour at all, then you will retire this title. Let it have the legacy and memory before it becomes just another bloody trinket nobody cares about. As the champion, I’m already there, so Odin knows how the rest of the world now view this wasted belt.
This wasn’t the Eva the masses were used to. There was the image of gothic beauty, the intense hazel stare, but her tone was almost defeated. Moving her belt to the bench beside her she stands up with a rustle. Her mask wasn’t just off, she’d crushed it under her dangerously pointed heel and it was clear as she folded her arms across her chest. She had no interest in putting it back on. The act was over, the scene had come to a close. You were getting Eva, the woman behind the character she played for the crowds. Though her expression made it clear that if you didn’t like it, you could go do one. Just make sure to do it quietly.
It’s not just the titles though is it? There’s a bigger problem…….maybe big doesn’t quite put across how bad things are getting. I’m good at metaphors normally, and in the past have compared our world to everything from a Dickensian nightmare, to a zombie hell scape. Even Wes Craven couldn’t touch the reality of it though could he? We have shows with no hype, matches to empty stands. The best in our business can take the fans with them on a journey, it’s your ride through this but win them over and they’ll be with you through every high and low. Feel every bump and share the highs with more passion than even the most enthused rookie at his first glance at gold. The motivation in the locker room right now is at an all time low, and they can feel that……you can see it in their faces, hear it in the chants and calls…..the ones that aren’t dubbed on for television that is. Anyone can make a crowd pop with the right button, right? So why lie about it? Why pretend this has become a relationship where we’re doing anything more than going through the motions? Sure, an old face reappears every so often, with the same lukewarm reaction you’d expect by this point. You hear a few threats, have a few decent matches before the spotlight wanes and the passion fades. They slink back into whatever corner of the real world they dwell in, call their one or two matches a good effort……Still, that counts as a decent effort right? At least we had the privilege of their presence for longer than it took their mates to regroup for the next raid.
Instinct wanted her to push a hand through her hair, and she very nearly gave in. Lowering her hands to her side she again folds her arms across her chest. Shifting her weight to her right with a barely there wince, she continued without a flicker.
We’re all guilty though, aren’t we. It’s not easy keeping the troops motivated when you have limited resources to work with. So it’s inevitable we’d be stuck with repetitive battles. You want a prediction for the next show? Locke returns with a massive push, shortly before he vanishes back into parts unknown without another word. Alex causes more emotional drama by teaming with his newest bit of stuff, and Mayhem use the numbers game, possibly by targeting me…..because it’s the only way they can make any impact. Kolic and Tamer, who should be carrying the biggest story of the year with their rivalry, say very little if anything at all. Well done guys, the one feud, the one story you could have pushed to heights bigger than anything we’ve seen in the last few years….and you both just wander away. As someone who has done both the good guy and bad guy act over the years I have a few words of advice. Kolic my darling, you’re not the first to play puppet master to a bunch of faceless muppets. You are however the worst, popping up every so often to spout a few one liners doesn’t do a whole lot to push you or them, and their repetitive numbers games got old weeks ago. You want an example of devious leader done right, check out Nikita then feel very ashamed of yourself and kindly sod off until you find an act you can impersonate convincingly. You should have been tearing up the arenas with Tamer, headlining shows. Not hiding behind your hired muscle with no personality to guide any of you. And Tamer……I know it’s hard to have to face someone who betrayed you so utterly. I know we talked extensively about how we were going to deal with it all, but it would have been great to see some of that anger and aggression that came out in our talks. The best promos, the best stories and the best matches all come from real feeling. You should have dragged your friend out of his silence and beat him with it. After everything he did, you should have made him feel it.
It could have been the story of the year. With the right backing the boys could have stolen the stage and run with it in a way the world hadn’t seen since the height of Corbination street.
But what about me? I know, I’m no less guilty than the rest of the kids. Repetitive matches and predictable outcomes squashed my enthusiasm more completely than sumo falling into a crowd of preschoolers. It makes you think, you know. I spent over a decade of my life living and breathing wrestling. Long hours on the road would be spent travelling with fellow stars, or mentally playing over scenarios, storylines or promos. Some of the best Nemesis moments have come into life in the arse end of nowhere while listening to bad eighties tunes. I didn’t grow up wanting to be a wrestler, but with it I found something that I could love, and something that accepted me for who and what I am. It wasn’t a healthy relationship either, I abused it as much as it abused me. It left me battered, broken, and hurting in every way you can imagine, and in return I was the clingy partner. Holding on and constantly questioning what I meant to the business. I couldn’t let go and it became my life. Every second of every day revolved around my commitments inside the ring and out. I’d back appearances to photoshoots, promos, training, interviews and signings. I’ve carried the weight of it all on my shoulders, even while pregnant I couldn’t let it go. So what changed? What made coming back at all one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make? I asked myself that, it was right alongside trying hard to find a reason to come back. I’ve paid my dues, achieved more than I ever thought possible, more than most ever will. I certainly don’t love this world the way I used to, or the way a champion should. So why am I here? Why am I still trying to make a difference to a world I’m feeling increasingly like a ex lover with? It’s awkward, overly familiar and at the same time so far away and alien.
Shaking her head her expression becomes for the first time in the history of a rolling camera, haunted. With her humanity dulling the edge of her Nemesis persona she took a deep steadying breath. Wherever her mind was right now, it was nowhere good and nowhere she could afford to dwell in front of a rolling camera.
This business gets into your blood. No matter what you do there’s always that one big match. The one defining moment you want before you can call it a day. The last time I felt alive in the ring, the last time I truly felt as if my old love was still in there somewhere…….was facing my husband. In a match too many were too busy seeing the obvious, to miss the words of support we offered each other barely concealed in our promos. In our business that was a long time ago, too long maybe? The last time I felt alive away from the cameras, was this morning. It was sitting with my husband and children, eating breakfast in our perfectly mundane and normal kitchen. Maybe the critics are right, maybe the best thing I ever did for this business was get on my knees for his Lordship. Maybe all the excitement and passion has gone, to be replaced by a reality I never really expected to have. We’re mortals masquerading as gods while on the grand stage, and we play our tragedies and comedies to the crowds without regret. So what happens when the stories stop entertaining, the pedestals crumble and the acts fade and die? What’s left? Cause that’s where we are right now. It’s a grim picture of an even more grim reality…….and if I think about it too much, If I let my mind truly explore I have to wonder…….Is that one big match really worth holding out for? Or am I just resigning myself to the same fate as my title? Is my legacy left to collect dust and fond memories?
That one had been playing on her mind for a while. How much damage was she doing both personally and professionally with her lacklustre performances?
It’s another difficult question in a world that seems to full of those these days. At Titan I’ll be teaming with Munin and Tamer……Am I holding out hope of a show stealing match? Hell, I settle for a fair one free of interruptions at this point. I’ll bring my best, as I always do. Everything else……
You know……I was going to do a big elaborate skit. With a set, a stage…… the whole cemetery set up. I was going to put up a headstone and bury this belt for good, but looking at it…..looking at some of the people who have held and fought over this title. It would be a bigger mark of disrespect than what’s happening with it right now. I’ve been accused of using my husband’s name in the past to pull strings and open doors. If I really had any of that rumoured Corbin sway, do you really think this title would still be active? With the roster in the current state it is and the title scene this decaying, do you really think I’d have let it stand if I could stop it? I’m a skilled athlete, an Icon, I’ve done some amazing things, learned some mind blowing skills on the long road it took to get to GZW…..Necromancy unfortunately wasn’t one of them. I can draw crowds and inspire talent, sure……but some folk are just beyond help. So I’ll make my request on air, voice it to the masses and hope the power of the people has more impact than one lone Iconic voice. We don’t need the Women’s title……not that most folk are even aware of who the current champion is. One of the biggest things that sets this company apart from the rest of the big unmentionable worlds out there, is that the girls and guys are treated equally. You fight the same, you work the same, you can reach just as high as they can and you are treated exactly the same. A belt that segregates doesn’t do a whole lot to push the ideas that first brought me here. It’s not my belt though and it never will be…….but being the best of the best isn’t gender specific. My title, the Intercontinental belt is faring just as well though. We don’t have the active numbers to create interesting feuds and so it is left to languish. You want to blame me for that, then go nuts, I’ll go throw down the gauntlet to the developmental roster while I’m at it……you know, just to create some buzz. If there’s any respect left in this industry, any decency and honour at all, then you will retire this title. Let it have the legacy and memory before it becomes just another bloody trinket nobody cares about. As the champion, I’m already there, so Odin knows how the rest of the world now view this wasted belt.
This wasn’t the Eva the masses were used to. There was the image of gothic beauty, the intense hazel stare, but her tone was almost defeated. Moving her belt to the bench beside her she stands up with a rustle. Her mask wasn’t just off, she’d crushed it under her dangerously pointed heel and it was clear as she folded her arms across her chest. She had no interest in putting it back on. The act was over, the scene had come to a close. You were getting Eva, the woman behind the character she played for the crowds. Though her expression made it clear that if you didn’t like it, you could go do one. Just make sure to do it quietly.
It’s not just the titles though is it? There’s a bigger problem…….maybe big doesn’t quite put across how bad things are getting. I’m good at metaphors normally, and in the past have compared our world to everything from a Dickensian nightmare, to a zombie hell scape. Even Wes Craven couldn’t touch the reality of it though could he? We have shows with no hype, matches to empty stands. The best in our business can take the fans with them on a journey, it’s your ride through this but win them over and they’ll be with you through every high and low. Feel every bump and share the highs with more passion than even the most enthused rookie at his first glance at gold. The motivation in the locker room right now is at an all time low, and they can feel that……you can see it in their faces, hear it in the chants and calls…..the ones that aren’t dubbed on for television that is. Anyone can make a crowd pop with the right button, right? So why lie about it? Why pretend this has become a relationship where we’re doing anything more than going through the motions? Sure, an old face reappears every so often, with the same lukewarm reaction you’d expect by this point. You hear a few threats, have a few decent matches before the spotlight wanes and the passion fades. They slink back into whatever corner of the real world they dwell in, call their one or two matches a good effort……Still, that counts as a decent effort right? At least we had the privilege of their presence for longer than it took their mates to regroup for the next raid.
Instinct wanted her to push a hand through her hair, and she very nearly gave in. Lowering her hands to her side she again folds her arms across her chest. Shifting her weight to her right with a barely there wince, she continued without a flicker.
We’re all guilty though, aren’t we. It’s not easy keeping the troops motivated when you have limited resources to work with. So it’s inevitable we’d be stuck with repetitive battles. You want a prediction for the next show? Locke returns with a massive push, shortly before he vanishes back into parts unknown without another word. Alex causes more emotional drama by teaming with his newest bit of stuff, and Mayhem use the numbers game, possibly by targeting me…..because it’s the only way they can make any impact. Kolic and Tamer, who should be carrying the biggest story of the year with their rivalry, say very little if anything at all. Well done guys, the one feud, the one story you could have pushed to heights bigger than anything we’ve seen in the last few years….and you both just wander away. As someone who has done both the good guy and bad guy act over the years I have a few words of advice. Kolic my darling, you’re not the first to play puppet master to a bunch of faceless muppets. You are however the worst, popping up every so often to spout a few one liners doesn’t do a whole lot to push you or them, and their repetitive numbers games got old weeks ago. You want an example of devious leader done right, check out Nikita then feel very ashamed of yourself and kindly sod off until you find an act you can impersonate convincingly. You should have been tearing up the arenas with Tamer, headlining shows. Not hiding behind your hired muscle with no personality to guide any of you. And Tamer……I know it’s hard to have to face someone who betrayed you so utterly. I know we talked extensively about how we were going to deal with it all, but it would have been great to see some of that anger and aggression that came out in our talks. The best promos, the best stories and the best matches all come from real feeling. You should have dragged your friend out of his silence and beat him with it. After everything he did, you should have made him feel it.
It could have been the story of the year. With the right backing the boys could have stolen the stage and run with it in a way the world hadn’t seen since the height of Corbination street.
But what about me? I know, I’m no less guilty than the rest of the kids. Repetitive matches and predictable outcomes squashed my enthusiasm more completely than sumo falling into a crowd of preschoolers. It makes you think, you know. I spent over a decade of my life living and breathing wrestling. Long hours on the road would be spent travelling with fellow stars, or mentally playing over scenarios, storylines or promos. Some of the best Nemesis moments have come into life in the arse end of nowhere while listening to bad eighties tunes. I didn’t grow up wanting to be a wrestler, but with it I found something that I could love, and something that accepted me for who and what I am. It wasn’t a healthy relationship either, I abused it as much as it abused me. It left me battered, broken, and hurting in every way you can imagine, and in return I was the clingy partner. Holding on and constantly questioning what I meant to the business. I couldn’t let go and it became my life. Every second of every day revolved around my commitments inside the ring and out. I’d back appearances to photoshoots, promos, training, interviews and signings. I’ve carried the weight of it all on my shoulders, even while pregnant I couldn’t let it go. So what changed? What made coming back at all one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make? I asked myself that, it was right alongside trying hard to find a reason to come back. I’ve paid my dues, achieved more than I ever thought possible, more than most ever will. I certainly don’t love this world the way I used to, or the way a champion should. So why am I here? Why am I still trying to make a difference to a world I’m feeling increasingly like a ex lover with? It’s awkward, overly familiar and at the same time so far away and alien.
Shaking her head her expression becomes for the first time in the history of a rolling camera, haunted. With her humanity dulling the edge of her Nemesis persona she took a deep steadying breath. Wherever her mind was right now, it was nowhere good and nowhere she could afford to dwell in front of a rolling camera.
This business gets into your blood. No matter what you do there’s always that one big match. The one defining moment you want before you can call it a day. The last time I felt alive in the ring, the last time I truly felt as if my old love was still in there somewhere…….was facing my husband. In a match too many were too busy seeing the obvious, to miss the words of support we offered each other barely concealed in our promos. In our business that was a long time ago, too long maybe? The last time I felt alive away from the cameras, was this morning. It was sitting with my husband and children, eating breakfast in our perfectly mundane and normal kitchen. Maybe the critics are right, maybe the best thing I ever did for this business was get on my knees for his Lordship. Maybe all the excitement and passion has gone, to be replaced by a reality I never really expected to have. We’re mortals masquerading as gods while on the grand stage, and we play our tragedies and comedies to the crowds without regret. So what happens when the stories stop entertaining, the pedestals crumble and the acts fade and die? What’s left? Cause that’s where we are right now. It’s a grim picture of an even more grim reality…….and if I think about it too much, If I let my mind truly explore I have to wonder…….Is that one big match really worth holding out for? Or am I just resigning myself to the same fate as my title? Is my legacy left to collect dust and fond memories?
That one had been playing on her mind for a while. How much damage was she doing both personally and professionally with her lacklustre performances?
It’s another difficult question in a world that seems to full of those these days. At Titan I’ll be teaming with Munin and Tamer……Am I holding out hope of a show stealing match? Hell, I settle for a fair one free of interruptions at this point. I’ll bring my best, as I always do. Everything else……
