Post by Emma Danielson on Sept 28, 2012 14:06:22 GMT -6
”We got what we wanted. Steve Awesome…is gone. No more mud wrestling, no more bra and panties matches, no more bikini contests. And now what, I hear you asking? Now where do we go? Simple. The place we said we were going, and the place we’ve always been going: onward. Past this hopefully quickly forgotten stain on this division’s history. This is Road to the Gold season. And that means something slightly different for all of us. For Ayla, it’s a chance to realize a dream, to climb that mountain for the very first time. For Alysson, it’s about redemption, a chance to avenge a miscarriage of justice against Jenny and become the first three-time Starlets’ Champion…god, I hope we rename that thing soon. For me?”
“For me, Road to the Gold is about rehabilitation. Not substance rehab, mind you. Image rehabilitation. Because let’s face it, I don’t exactly have a great image in the minds of my coworkers or, hell, most of the fans. Some of them see me as a stuck-up prude unable to reconcile athleticism and sexuality. Some of them see me as a drunk brute, a friggin’…a friggin’ ogre. Thanks a whole lot for that, girls. And there’s still a small portion of them that see me as a dedicated wrestler and…I’d like to think…World Champion material.”
“And normally I’d be content to wrestle for that last group and ignore everyone else. But the first two groups are too big to ignore. My merch isn’t shipping as much anymore, I’m not getting called out for press events…I’m an afterthought. I'm lucky if I get a match every other week. So the chance to get a full run of a month, including a pay-per-view World Title match? Well, color me enthused. Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder was half-right. Might not always work for people…but damn if I’m not hyped to be getting to step back in the ring.”
“As for my opponent…Charity Helms. Sister to everyone’s favorite extraterrestrial. Normally, I’d question why you’re here. I mean, as far as I know you’re just here because Adam Knite asked you to be here, and I have no doubt that he did it to screw with your brother’s head. But you know what? I’m in a good mood. Well, as good as my mood ever gets. I feel like doing something nice for a change. So I’m going to ask you: do you think you’ve got what it takes to be Starlets’ Champion?”
“Because that’s really what it boils down to. You are five wins away from being the Starlets’ World Champion. Five wins from being able to say ‘I am the best, and you can’t dispute that.’ It’s a lot of pressure being put on you, especially in your first match. And I don’t envy you. Because, y’see, just because you’re a newbie here in NCW doesn’t mean I won’t treat you like any other opponent. I want to win this too. I want to win because I know what it’s like to have been at the top of the mountain. I know what it’s like to have held that title, to have been able to represent this division and all the women in it. And I want to be able to do that again. I want to prove to myself that it wasn’t a fluke.”
“Unfortunately for you, it looks like a nasty case of ‘wrong place, wrong time.’ Look, no matter how this match turns out…this isn’t all you should think about. One match does not a career define, especially not a first one. Go out there, give me all you’ve got, and we’ll see if you’ve got enough in that tank to stop me. Personally, I don’t think so, but that’s my job. This was never about exclusion for me. If you want to be here, then I welcome you with open arms…and maybe a clothesline or two. That’s the question I ask of you, Charity: Do you want to be World Champion? The answer could change everything…”
Open on Emma Danielson sitting in the middle of a raging party at the First Avenue nightclub in downtown Minneapolis with Andrew Jacobsen, who, unsurprisingly, has the NCW World Title over his shoulder. Andrew grins over at her, beer in hand, and he pats the plate of the belt, chuckling as he shakes his head.
”I finally did it. After three long, painful years…World. Champion. God, this feels so good…it’s like…all this weight’s been lifted off of my shoulders. Ironic. Put a weight on my shoulder, weight gets lifted off. But I digress. Road to the Gold time. I’m on the inside looking out…man, the friggin’ anticipation is gonna kill me. Waiting an entire month, watching them whittle the field down…and then it all comes to a head live on pay-per-view. Jesus, I can’t wait. How ‘bout you? Starlets’ Road starts next week. As I recall, you’re the first match of Road to the Gold season. How ya likin’ your chances?”
Emma shrugs, sipping her own beer. Even though Andrew has much more body mass than Emma, judging by her apparent focus and calm demeanor her alcohol tolerance is far greater. She sighs, setting down the half-full beer glass she was holding, and glances over to the World Champion.
”I like ‘em plenty, it’s just…I don’t know. I feel…off. I should be celebrating. We got rid of Steve, my friend is World Champion, I’m in Road to the Gold…but there’s just something that’s not firing. I’m missing something, and I don’t know what it is…”
Andrew shakes his head, reaching over and patting Emma on the back. She cocks an eyebrow at this, but he just flashes that million-dollar smile back at her.
”Don’t be so hard on yourself, Em. You’re allowed to be confused. You’re human. That’s what we do. Get confused and…stuff. Right now, though? Forget about it. Forget about Road to the Gold, the Starlets…this is a party. Have some fun! Look, if the Boy Scout is more loosened up than the booze-fueled badass herself, then we’ve got ourselves a serious problem. You need to relax, Emma. If you keep stressing out over everything, you’re gonna have a friggin’ aneurysm.”
She sighs, pausing for a second before a big and slightly forced grin spreads across her face. She grabs her beer, draining the remainder of its contents, and nods to the bartender for another. Emma turns to face Andrew, chuckling.
”Alright! Party time! If we’re partying, then there’s no good reason we’re not dancing. And don’t give me that ‘I’ve had too much’ BS, you’re a better dancer drunk. Come on, champ, time to get that world-class ass out on the dance floor!”
She grins, grabbing Andrew’s arm, and hauls him out into the sea of humanity. Jacobsen immediately tries to dance, but, having both little experience and a not inconsiderable amount of alcohol in his system, he’s not exactly what anyone in their right mind would call graceful. Emma, on the other hand, takes to it with a surprising adeptness. As the camera focuses in on her face, though, we can see the smile formerly plastered on her face fading, replaced by a nagging expression of worry. It’s on this mood shift that we fade to black.
“For me, Road to the Gold is about rehabilitation. Not substance rehab, mind you. Image rehabilitation. Because let’s face it, I don’t exactly have a great image in the minds of my coworkers or, hell, most of the fans. Some of them see me as a stuck-up prude unable to reconcile athleticism and sexuality. Some of them see me as a drunk brute, a friggin’…a friggin’ ogre. Thanks a whole lot for that, girls. And there’s still a small portion of them that see me as a dedicated wrestler and…I’d like to think…World Champion material.”
“And normally I’d be content to wrestle for that last group and ignore everyone else. But the first two groups are too big to ignore. My merch isn’t shipping as much anymore, I’m not getting called out for press events…I’m an afterthought. I'm lucky if I get a match every other week. So the chance to get a full run of a month, including a pay-per-view World Title match? Well, color me enthused. Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder was half-right. Might not always work for people…but damn if I’m not hyped to be getting to step back in the ring.”
“As for my opponent…Charity Helms. Sister to everyone’s favorite extraterrestrial. Normally, I’d question why you’re here. I mean, as far as I know you’re just here because Adam Knite asked you to be here, and I have no doubt that he did it to screw with your brother’s head. But you know what? I’m in a good mood. Well, as good as my mood ever gets. I feel like doing something nice for a change. So I’m going to ask you: do you think you’ve got what it takes to be Starlets’ Champion?”
“Because that’s really what it boils down to. You are five wins away from being the Starlets’ World Champion. Five wins from being able to say ‘I am the best, and you can’t dispute that.’ It’s a lot of pressure being put on you, especially in your first match. And I don’t envy you. Because, y’see, just because you’re a newbie here in NCW doesn’t mean I won’t treat you like any other opponent. I want to win this too. I want to win because I know what it’s like to have been at the top of the mountain. I know what it’s like to have held that title, to have been able to represent this division and all the women in it. And I want to be able to do that again. I want to prove to myself that it wasn’t a fluke.”
“Unfortunately for you, it looks like a nasty case of ‘wrong place, wrong time.’ Look, no matter how this match turns out…this isn’t all you should think about. One match does not a career define, especially not a first one. Go out there, give me all you’ve got, and we’ll see if you’ve got enough in that tank to stop me. Personally, I don’t think so, but that’s my job. This was never about exclusion for me. If you want to be here, then I welcome you with open arms…and maybe a clothesline or two. That’s the question I ask of you, Charity: Do you want to be World Champion? The answer could change everything…”
Open on Emma Danielson sitting in the middle of a raging party at the First Avenue nightclub in downtown Minneapolis with Andrew Jacobsen, who, unsurprisingly, has the NCW World Title over his shoulder. Andrew grins over at her, beer in hand, and he pats the plate of the belt, chuckling as he shakes his head.
”I finally did it. After three long, painful years…World. Champion. God, this feels so good…it’s like…all this weight’s been lifted off of my shoulders. Ironic. Put a weight on my shoulder, weight gets lifted off. But I digress. Road to the Gold time. I’m on the inside looking out…man, the friggin’ anticipation is gonna kill me. Waiting an entire month, watching them whittle the field down…and then it all comes to a head live on pay-per-view. Jesus, I can’t wait. How ‘bout you? Starlets’ Road starts next week. As I recall, you’re the first match of Road to the Gold season. How ya likin’ your chances?”
Emma shrugs, sipping her own beer. Even though Andrew has much more body mass than Emma, judging by her apparent focus and calm demeanor her alcohol tolerance is far greater. She sighs, setting down the half-full beer glass she was holding, and glances over to the World Champion.
”I like ‘em plenty, it’s just…I don’t know. I feel…off. I should be celebrating. We got rid of Steve, my friend is World Champion, I’m in Road to the Gold…but there’s just something that’s not firing. I’m missing something, and I don’t know what it is…”
Andrew shakes his head, reaching over and patting Emma on the back. She cocks an eyebrow at this, but he just flashes that million-dollar smile back at her.
”Don’t be so hard on yourself, Em. You’re allowed to be confused. You’re human. That’s what we do. Get confused and…stuff. Right now, though? Forget about it. Forget about Road to the Gold, the Starlets…this is a party. Have some fun! Look, if the Boy Scout is more loosened up than the booze-fueled badass herself, then we’ve got ourselves a serious problem. You need to relax, Emma. If you keep stressing out over everything, you’re gonna have a friggin’ aneurysm.”
She sighs, pausing for a second before a big and slightly forced grin spreads across her face. She grabs her beer, draining the remainder of its contents, and nods to the bartender for another. Emma turns to face Andrew, chuckling.
”Alright! Party time! If we’re partying, then there’s no good reason we’re not dancing. And don’t give me that ‘I’ve had too much’ BS, you’re a better dancer drunk. Come on, champ, time to get that world-class ass out on the dance floor!”
She grins, grabbing Andrew’s arm, and hauls him out into the sea of humanity. Jacobsen immediately tries to dance, but, having both little experience and a not inconsiderable amount of alcohol in his system, he’s not exactly what anyone in their right mind would call graceful. Emma, on the other hand, takes to it with a surprising adeptness. As the camera focuses in on her face, though, we can see the smile formerly plastered on her face fading, replaced by a nagging expression of worry. It’s on this mood shift that we fade to black.