Post by Dakota Smith on Feb 5, 2018 4:13:37 GMT -5
“Babe…” Charlie says in a concerned voice. She was sitting a ways above the ground on the edge of a old plane that looked as if it had been around since WWII. On the side of the plane was the flag of Japan, the paint had been chipped away by time and it looked as if it had seen better days. “ I am like one hundred percent sure you can’t light up in here.” Charlie was talking to Flash, who was laid out next to her, wearing his signature shades and about to light up a blunt that was pressed between his lips. He pauses for a moment, turning his head up to look at the fine ass lady next to him. “ I am like a hundred percent sure I don’t give a shit boo boo!” and with that that Flash sparked it up.
The camera zoomed out a bit as Flash blew smoke rings up into the air. It was now obvious as to why Charlie said Flash couldn’t smoke here. They are smack dab in the middle of a Japanese war museum. The sun was shining through the large glass windows of the building, which made it almost more surprising that it looked almost deserted. The only two people in the room being Charlie and Flash. Flash takes a deep inhale off of the blunt, letting the smoke fill his lungs before passing it above his head to Charlie.
In a quick, split-second motion Flash kips up to his feet so that he is now standing on the side of the plane. He shows off perfect form in the kip up, making it look as easy as a flick of the wrist. The Burner pushes his hair out the way of his eyes and glances over to the camera with a wide, almost too cocky smirk. He then starts bobbing his head in a very chill rhythm , as if there was song playing that only he heard.
“ Konichiwa foos'. You already know who it is. Flash Kassidy, The Burner… Yo next King Cobra! And of course you all remember ya’ girl Charlie. I mean shit… How could you not am I right? She one baaad birdy, know what i’m sayin’? “
Turning himself around he glances down at Charlie, who was smiling at him with that Hollywood grin of hers. You could see Flash almost melt into the metal frame of the plane, grasping his heart and acting as if he was about to have a heart attack. This makes Charlie giggle, smoke seeping out of her lips as she tries to cover her mouth. With a smirk of success on his face, Flash turns back to the camera.
“ I am hype as fuck right now! Semi-finals in the king cobra tourny… Shit, i’m on cloud nine, high as a motherfucker! But it ain’t just the weed raising my spirits. Finally, FINALLY! I got me some real motha' fuckin’ competition! Emery Layton! How you doin’ girl! You one the reason I came to Union, I seen you over here tearin’ it up, whippin’ through the sky like a damn red haired Apache helicopter! You a bad bitch, ain’t shit to doubt on that. Tough as nails, bare knuckle brawlin' lass who can fly through them skies almost as well as ya' boy here.
But that don’t mean you got me shook, ya' dig? Could put me up against godzilla n I still woudn't flinch, son! I ain’t scared of facing the Trench Warfare Champo' - even if you have held the sum’bitch for about a year now, That’s some real impressive shit right there…”
Charlie tugs on Flash’s pants leg, handing him the blunt. “ At Least she’s not a plastic skank like that last one…” She makes a disgusted face, as Flash placed the blunt back between his lips, taking a puff here and there as he continued.
“It ain’t shit to me though… You holdin’ that belt for as long as you have, or holdin’ any other belt for that matter. It’s all cool n shit that you got em’, but i’m tellin’ you right now you ain’t getting the Crown of The King Cobra. That’s reserved for this fly boy you sees in front of you. Now I know you gonna’ be some heavy competition, I ain’t stupid. Yous' been around the block a few more times than me, been at the game longer. But you ain't never faced someone like Flash fuckin' Kassidy, i'm high above the competition! A whole other level of gifted, while you playin' around in the clouds i'm driftin' through space! Galactus bitch, i'll eat them motha' fuckin' stars! Two and Zero, and I ain't stopin' there hoochie girl.
Just like the soldiers who used to nose dive these planes im standin' on, i’m ready to go fo broke! Kamikaze style! Take myself out while bustin’ yo ass if I have to. Think I give a shit? I’ve crashed and burned before, and i’m prepared to do it again! You gots to risk it to get the biscuit! And ima risk it fuckin’ all just to get that Crown! My body, my mind - it's all gonna be put on display at Lights Out! Eve
Me and yous are gonna’ put on a high-flyin’, death defyin’, flippin’ over you ma’ fucka’s classic! Show stealin' right here, callin' it now Em. When we meet in that ring it's gonna’ be like Cirque du Soleil except not gay as hell! There ain’t gonna be one fan in they seat by the time we done! They gonna be glued to the dogfight happenin' in the sky!
But only one of us is goin’ to be able to walk out with the W, and i’m puttin’ my money on me. Why? Because I'm hungry! i’m fuckin’ starving Em! Starving fo some real competition, starvin’ fo that good good King Cobra around my waist! You been here, you established! When people see you they know what to expect, because they seen you do it many times before. But me? I only got two matched under my belt here.. And I’ll tells yo gypsy ass somethin' right now…”
Flash gets interuped by shouting that can be heard coming from just out of the cameras range. It swings around to see a mob of security guards running towards the plane. Flash quickly turns his head to Charlie who says “ Told ya we couldn’t smoke in here Flashy” In a rather smarty pants tone. Flash just gives her a quick grin before ripping the blunt out of his mouth and flicking it towards the guards who are now gathered at the bottom of the plane, looking up at Flash - screaming in Japanese, trying to get him down.
Ya boy looks back to the camera remembering that he was in the middle of saying something. “Oh yeah… And Em…What I was gonna say is... You ain’t seen shiiiiiiit' yet! “ As if he was in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Flash jumps up into the air and lands on one of the security guards - driving his foot directly into the man's face with cheesy sounding 80s kung fu movie sound effect. Charlie watches on in a mix of astonishment and amusement.
Flash is back up to his feet now and the other security guards surround him, he bounces back and forth on his feet - imitating Bruce Lee. As the guards come at him, Flash attacks them with a fury of over the top punches and kicks, flinging himself through the air with almost paranormal ease. Every time his fist or foot connects, flash gives off sound effects that sound as if they came straight from Mortal Kombat.
It was quite the kung fu display, Jackie Chan himself would be proud of the agility and speed Flash was showing off as he beat down the last remaining guard. He stood in the middle of a pile of bodies, the men on the ground where groaning and holding their wounds as Flash stood tall, the look on his face reeking of pride. He turns his attention to Charlie who was giving him a standing ovation as she had just witnessed this ode to classic Japanese films from the best seat in the house. She hops down off the of the wing with excitement, being caught in Flash's arms. The pair share a romantic embrace, Charlie still being held up in the air by Flash. As he lets her down he grabs a hold of her hand, his bloodshot eyes looking into hers. "Lets go get some fuckin' eats boo boo, starvin." Flash leads Charlie away, not giving the men he just beat down a second glance.
Last Edit: Feb 5, 2018 4:20:19 GMT -5 by Dakota Smith
The sun seems bigger and more present as it hangs over the skies of Japan.
The grass is greener and the soil is browner. We approach a small establishment, tiny enough to be hidden away. The sliding doors open to reveal one person sat at a table, cross-legged. She wears a kimono, with her red hair pinned up behind the back of her head, only her bangs being worn long. Yes, Emery Layton- with a rucksack on her back- waits on a small, old man, who potters in the background. The Trench War Traveller watches on- enthralled.
EMERY LAYTON:
"You sure you don't have a kettle hidden back there? Couple of bags of Tetley? You've been fibbing this whole time, surely. I'm joking. This is awesome. Again, thank you."
She watches as the old man calmly and silently walks into another room. A smile cannot help but form on her face. A genuine, warm smile.
"Used to come here all the time. We're in a Chashitsu- Tea Room to you and me. Love traditional tea rooms here in Japan. Usually I can't stand anything that ain't rum and I ain't a tea or coffee kinda girl but the way he makes it here- it's The Business. Kinda become a tradition to come to this one every time I come to Tokyo or wherever now. And the thing is its only Japan, too. Chashitsus are dotted everywhere round the country. Some for different reasons, but ones like this one were built specifically for weary Travellers who were on their way up Mount Fuji or exploring in general. Isn't that brilliant? Some of these things are a thousand years old. Fun fact for ya- there's actually an authentic one hidden in New York. Just like this one- bit smaller but I like it. Ain't gonna tell you where though- why spoil the adventure? Thrill's in the chase!"
She looks to the side- her eyes light up.
"Ah!"
The little old man brings a little wooden cup. We can old see steam coming from it- not it's contents, but given it's a Chashitsu, you can probably guess what it is. Em puts both of hands together and nods her head. The old man returns it and wanders off to do whatever he's doing. Emery takes one gulp and nods her head. Periodically, she continues to keep doing this, interrupting her own speech.
"That's the stuff right there. This kimono's mine by the way. Got it as a gift when I lived here for a bit. Well, I say lived. Couch-surfed. I don't got a home-home but for a while, this was the nearest thing to it. All worth it, though. It's here I learned most of the shi--stuff...I don't wanna swear in here...I learned most of the stuff I know now in Japan. Before I came to the US, I was here in the Joshi leagues. This is where you learn the harder stuff. Take a kick for example- American wrestlers will kick you to wear you down, but a Japanese wrestler will kick you and keep doing it cos they wanna make you suffer and beg them to stop. And it ain't cos they hate you- not always anyway- it's just how they been taught. You can't let 'em get back up. I got kicked a lot. I still do. I learned how to take it here. I like a laugh and I always have, but this is where my skin got thicker. Emery Layton was born in a small, damp little camper van somewhere in Ireland but she was made here."
By this point, the tea is finished. She places the cup down on the table and nods to the old man.
"Till the next time, Akihiko."
He nods back once again and continues. There's a clear understanding between them. A non-verbal communication going on. Emery slowly, and uncharacteristically respectfully, stands up quietly, grabbing her rucksack and slinging it over her shoulder as she slowly exits the tea house.
"Oh and speaking of Mount Fuji..."
Walking forwards, she looks out to see it- a clear, picture perfect view of Mount Fuji. It's beautiful, like someone physically painted it into the earth. She stops to just...breathe it in. Take in the view. The luxury of the Traveller. Hearing a rustle behind her, the old man- Akihiko- appears to be cleaning up with a brush.
"Met that man years ago. Old friend. Nice guy- quiet. Sometimes he sings, too. I was twenty-two. Didn't know anyone. Nothing but a passport, a bag and a pair of knee-pads and boots. All I knew was that I needed to do two things- wrestle professionally and climb Mount Fuji. And the first time, I was eager. I was a ball of energy and everything was so big and bold and brilliant and new. But I was so hungry. I had no food or jacket and it was cold. So cold. I never made it that first time."
She turns back, looking back to the towering presence of Fuji.
"Second time, I came with a friend. My best friend. We tried our best, but she was so sick. She couldn't make the walk...so I wouldn't do it. I'll never forget coming back after and she said to me 'one day, you're gonna climb that mountain and you're gonna do it on your own. You don't need me.' I tried not to show it but I wasn't happy. I wanted to get up there. Just to see what was over the other side. Get a good view of it all. Two times- tried to climb that mountain. Never got there. 'Six hours to get to the top', they say. If you do it right, obviously."
With Fuji still in view, Em drops onto the ground, sitting cross-legged. Watching the world.
"The Crown of the King Cobra is the third time I've ever been in a tournament for Union Battleground. First time, I coulda been the champion and I lost out in the semi-finals. Second time, I teamed with Adam Fenric and we coulda been the first Battalions champs. We lost out in the semi-finals again. We all got our mountains to climb, and they don't always have volcanoes coming outta them like that big thing over there. I'm staring at my mountain again right now, and this time it's wearing a snap-back. Flash Kassidy's gonna come at me thick and fast. I saw how he went through Trixie. Dude doesn't mess around. But neither do I. Think I've kept hold of the Trench War title for nearly a year cos I dilly-dallyed? Nah. I won this and I've held onto it for dear life, just surviving day to day. I defended it against anyone who asked to prove it to you lot I could and to prove it to myself. Am I happy that some masked dude came along and ruined my last match with it? No way, and soon I'll get to the bottom of what's going on there but that ain't my mountain right now.
See thing about you, mate- and I really am glad I get to finally face you, Flash- is the fact you don't look at stuff the way I do. Everything I seen about you makes me think you wanna win this cos you wanna be the best. You wanna win the Crown of the King Cobra cos you wanna be the best. And fair play to you, man. You been here, what, five minutes, you're comfortable and so you wanna hold the big shiny thing. I get it. But thing about me? I already know something about you from that and that's this- you don't know the difference between want and need. You want to be Crown of the King Cobra cos you wanna establish yourself and you want everybody to lookit you and go 'whoa, take a look at that guy- lookit how quick he won that AND he beat the Trench War champ to get there'. Me? If I win this tournament, it sets me on the path to right a wrong. The first wrong of my career in Union."
Now, she stands once again.
"You got an unchecked chip on your shoulder, fella. You're probably very good and maybe you've got a cracking future ahead of you in Union, but you ain't waited so, so long for an opportunity to climb and fallen as far as I've had to in order to earn it. So in Tokyo, lets mix and match. Your 'Want' vs my 'Need'. Lets see who's stronger."
At that moment, she stops. Akihiko- still cleaning up behind her- has begun to sing quietly to himself. Emery recognises it immediately- it's the Takeda Lullaby. She exhales as she turns and looks to the mountain.
“Whaddaya reckon's on the other side, then?”
She gazes. She grins- enthusiastic and determined.
