Post by Alyssa Daniels on Sept 29, 2018 19:58:34 GMT -8
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Bite.
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The bright light bursts forth from the open mausoleum door. Alyssa Daniels is fully encompassed by the light as she steps through the door. Through various flashes, you can see the black dress ripped from her body but not much else. Suddenly, the light dissipates and Alyssa steps through, dressed in her ring attire. She now stands at the top of the ramp at the Sanctum, Elysium’s new venue in Toronto, Ontario. She looks around briefly to familiarize herself with her surroundings before marching toward the ring. As she approaches the ramp, however, flames blaze up before her, blocking her path. Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the entire ramp is now aflame. As Alyssa eyes the flames curiously, a voice booms throughout the arena and grabs her attention.
“Why are you here?”
“What?” Alyssa responds in confusion.
“Why are you here?”
Alyssa looks around but cannot identify the source of the noise. She instead chooses to shrug and respond.
“I’m here to fight, to win.”
“Are you sure? You don’t sound convincing.”
“Convincing? I don’t understand.”
“Clearly. All this talk about Elysium’s return, about the big match upcoming, but nothing at all to convince us why you will win, what you claim you’re here to do.”
“You want me to convince you, whoever you are, with words?”
“Yes. Haven’t you been listening? Everyone else has made their claim to the World Championship while you--”
“Let me stop you there. Your assessment is based upon an incorrect assumption.”
There is a pause. The disembodied voice appears to be listening.
“I am not like everyone else.”
As the words are spoken, a large section of the flames on the ramp are extinguished, smoke rising from where they once were. Alyssa steps forward.
“A dog doesn’t need to bark to be dangerous. My ears work just fine but listening to the field? All of the words just blend together. Would it make you feel better if I tried to pretend to be some vicious monster like DEIMOS? What if I pretended to be a god like SHIDO? How about if I spelled my name in all capital letters, would that send the right message? Would it make me more intimidating?”
Alyssa blows to clear the smoke from her path.
“Bark, bark, bark. Elina’s obsession with my father doesn’t phase me. Azurine’s displeasure with my perceived lack of support doesn’t shake me. I don’t need to push a ridiculous redemption story like Samham. I don’t have to be ‘so hardcore’ like F.M. Warrior Princess. I don’t need to sound the same as everyone else because I’m not like everyone else.”
She shrugs.
“Let them bark. When the time comes, I’ll bite.”
More of the flames on the ramp are extinguished as she walks slowly, confidently.
“Six months since I was a fast rising contender in Elysium. Six months since SHIDO faced fledgling contenders like Mathis. I was dangerous then, and I’ve only gotten better. I rose to the top of Fight Union before it collapsed. I’m still the Union Battleground Champion. But you need me to tell you why I’ll win?”
She smiles a wicked smile.
“I’ll win because now, I know how. I know what it’s going to take to topple a pretentious ‘god.’ I’ve beaten DEIMOS. I’ve beaten Azurine, twice. And those two wolves did everything they could to wear down this ‘fragile little girl’ and even they couldn’t beat me no matter how hard they tried.”
She keeps walking toward the still burning flames without fear or slowing down.
“I’m just a girl with heart for days. I’m a highly-skilled fighter that gives everything I have when I get into that ring. And if there’s anything I’ve gleaned from listening to the field, it’s that I have a target on my back. Go figure.”
The last of the flames fall as Alyssa steps up to them, clearing her path to the ring.
“I didn’t have to beat my own chest for Elina, for F.M., for SHIDO, for DEIMOS to recognize the threat I represent. None of this barking deters me even a little. I’ve got everything to fight for at Wideawake, and fight I shall.”
Alyssa rolls into the ring and stands. She looks around the arena.
“Silence? Nothing else to criticize?”
She laughs.
“I didn’t think so. Listen up, everyone. This? This is where the talking ends. This is where the battles, the wars, will be decided. This is where Elysium will crown its undisputed champion. You’ve all laid out your claims but come October first, those words will evaporate. Action is what crowns a champion and believe you me, I’m all about that action. I haven’t sat idly by waiting for Elysium to return, and neither have some of you. But at Wideawake, the contenders will be separated from the pretenders. At Wideawake, we find out just how many of you can walk that talk. And at Wideawake, all that barking won’t mean a damn thing.”
She stands at the center of the ring and stares up the ramp. She lifts a hand to beckon the competition.
“It’s going to be all about the bite.”
Alyssa snaps viciously. Then darkness.
“Why are you here?”
“What?” Alyssa responds in confusion.
“Why are you here?”
Alyssa looks around but cannot identify the source of the noise. She instead chooses to shrug and respond.
“I’m here to fight, to win.”
“Are you sure? You don’t sound convincing.”
“Convincing? I don’t understand.”
“Clearly. All this talk about Elysium’s return, about the big match upcoming, but nothing at all to convince us why you will win, what you claim you’re here to do.”
“You want me to convince you, whoever you are, with words?”
“Yes. Haven’t you been listening? Everyone else has made their claim to the World Championship while you--”
“Let me stop you there. Your assessment is based upon an incorrect assumption.”
There is a pause. The disembodied voice appears to be listening.
“I am not like everyone else.”
As the words are spoken, a large section of the flames on the ramp are extinguished, smoke rising from where they once were. Alyssa steps forward.
“A dog doesn’t need to bark to be dangerous. My ears work just fine but listening to the field? All of the words just blend together. Would it make you feel better if I tried to pretend to be some vicious monster like DEIMOS? What if I pretended to be a god like SHIDO? How about if I spelled my name in all capital letters, would that send the right message? Would it make me more intimidating?”
Alyssa blows to clear the smoke from her path.
“Bark, bark, bark. Elina’s obsession with my father doesn’t phase me. Azurine’s displeasure with my perceived lack of support doesn’t shake me. I don’t need to push a ridiculous redemption story like Samham. I don’t have to be ‘so hardcore’ like F.M. Warrior Princess. I don’t need to sound the same as everyone else because I’m not like everyone else.”
She shrugs.
“Let them bark. When the time comes, I’ll bite.”
More of the flames on the ramp are extinguished as she walks slowly, confidently.
“Six months since I was a fast rising contender in Elysium. Six months since SHIDO faced fledgling contenders like Mathis. I was dangerous then, and I’ve only gotten better. I rose to the top of Fight Union before it collapsed. I’m still the Union Battleground Champion. But you need me to tell you why I’ll win?”
She smiles a wicked smile.
“I’ll win because now, I know how. I know what it’s going to take to topple a pretentious ‘god.’ I’ve beaten DEIMOS. I’ve beaten Azurine, twice. And those two wolves did everything they could to wear down this ‘fragile little girl’ and even they couldn’t beat me no matter how hard they tried.”
She keeps walking toward the still burning flames without fear or slowing down.
“I’m just a girl with heart for days. I’m a highly-skilled fighter that gives everything I have when I get into that ring. And if there’s anything I’ve gleaned from listening to the field, it’s that I have a target on my back. Go figure.”
The last of the flames fall as Alyssa steps up to them, clearing her path to the ring.
“I didn’t have to beat my own chest for Elina, for F.M., for SHIDO, for DEIMOS to recognize the threat I represent. None of this barking deters me even a little. I’ve got everything to fight for at Wideawake, and fight I shall.”
Alyssa rolls into the ring and stands. She looks around the arena.
“Silence? Nothing else to criticize?”
She laughs.
“I didn’t think so. Listen up, everyone. This? This is where the talking ends. This is where the battles, the wars, will be decided. This is where Elysium will crown its undisputed champion. You’ve all laid out your claims but come October first, those words will evaporate. Action is what crowns a champion and believe you me, I’m all about that action. I haven’t sat idly by waiting for Elysium to return, and neither have some of you. But at Wideawake, the contenders will be separated from the pretenders. At Wideawake, we find out just how many of you can walk that talk. And at Wideawake, all that barking won’t mean a damn thing.”
She stands at the center of the ring and stares up the ramp. She lifts a hand to beckon the competition.
“It’s going to be all about the bite.”
Alyssa snaps viciously. Then darkness.
