Post by Cassius on Jul 4, 2017 22:48:20 GMT
Tokyo, Japan
5th July 2017, 22:30 JST
5th July 2017, 22:30 JST
MELODY LENNOX: “I wish we could spend longer here.”
The petite blonde, Melody Lennox sits on the hotel balcony, knees bunched up to her chest, as she looks out over the Tokyo skyline, Mount Fuji hanging heavy in the distance. The Mickey Mouse hat she wears, proudly identified as a souvenir from Tokyo Disneyland by the logo on it’s front, sits on her head in stark juxtaposition to the pink kimono she also wears, delicate silk draping over her tanned, naked flesh. A slight chill in the night air sends a shiver through her, and she prompts her to draw the silk gown closed over herself. The intended recipient of her statement steps out into the night air. Relatively secure from prying eyes up here in the penthouse suite, he makes no attempts to preserve his modesty, his own golden kimono hanging wide open. The sight prompts a slight blush from her, but she doesn’t turn her head, instead provoking a slight giggle. Smiling, Cassius Reed steps forward, champagne flutes full of sparkling golden liquid in each hand, one of which he dutifully extends to her. She moves to take it, before stopping herself, looking up at him with a slight frown.
CASSIUS REED: “Oh, you think I’d forget? It’s alcohol free. Go ahead.”
Still slightly apprehensive, she takes the glass, and allows herself the tiniest of sips, before nodding with a smile.
MELODY LENNOX: “Sorry, I…”
CASSIUS REED: “I know, there ain’t no reason to be sorry. It’s fine.”
She sits upright as he slips behind her on the recliner, leaning back only once he is position, the warmth of his body instantly making a change to her own disposition. Taking his free arm, she wraps it around herself like a blanket, pulling herself further into the nook created by his body.
CASSIUS REED: “And you know I’d keep us out here longer if I could… but we got to get you back. You’ve got a tournament to dazzle.”
She smiles and sighs a content sigh as he leans in, kissing the crown of her head through the Mickey Mouse cap.
MELODY LENNOX: “I know. It’s been lovely… and thank you for letting me come out here with you. I’ve always wanted to see Tokyo Disney…”
CASSIUS REED: “Thank me? Girl I should be thanking you. Dropping more or less everything to come out here and help Cassius celebrate his birthday… it’s been the greatest time. And even if my match with that Miller jerk tonight didn’t exactly go the way I wanted.... Hey, a win’s a win, right? I guess? Just gives us another reason to celebrate.”
He reaches around, and clinks his glass against hers. She giggles, and shuffles a little in her position, the movement sending shivers through his body as the thin silk coating her body rubs against his.
CASSIUS REED: “And it’s not even like this ends the vacation, you know? You staying over last week was pretty magic, then there’s this week… and then with you staying with me for your show in Rochester… there’s not even a reason for you to have to leave until I have to head to Utah. Hell, it’s like we’re practically living together.”
Melody practically chokes on her drink as she tries to suppress her laugh.
MELODY LENNOX: “Oh lord, I think Reia may actually try to kill you for stealing her room.”
CASSIUS REED: “She’s never going to warm to me, is she?”
MELODY LENNOX: “Oh, she’ll come round. She’s just a bit… protective of me… and wary of guys I guess. What with Warren… and Ricky…”
Valero’s name hangs pregnant in the air, an awkward silence following it, neither wanting to acknowledge it.
CASSIUS REED: “... You know what I’m going to miss, just a bit? Not having to worry about Reia, or Bianca, or any of them… just you and me… not living on opposite coasts… not having to worry about whichever one of them is disapproving of something we said that day… just us.”
He looks out over the skyline once more, from his position unable to see her bite her lip as she nods her head.
CASSIUS REED: “One day… I mean… what we’ve got’s working at the moment… right?”
MELODY LENNOX: “Yes.”
She responds, maybe a little bit too quickly. Judging by the light smile on his face, he doesn’t notice.
MELODY LENNOX: “I mean… why mess with what works, right? We get to spend the time together we want, but don’t feel like we have to be around each other all the time, just because, right? And each having our own places to go to… well that’s just convenient? I mean, me in the West, you in the East… that’s just useful.”
He doesn’t respond, instead sinking further into the recliner. The arm wrapped about her chest relaxes slightly… before the hand slips under the kimono, and comes to rest on her breast. There’s a slight catch in her breath, before she sets her free hand down on his exposed thigh, gently caressing it with her nails. They both sigh in unison.
MELODY LENNOX: “No reason to change a thing…”
-----
Tokyo, Japan
6th July 2017, 09:30 JST
6th July 2017, 09:30 JST
? ?: “Konnichiwa, suckas!”The camera fades up to reveal Cassius Reed stood in the ornamental gardens of a Japanese Shinto temple. Wearing a white “The Cassius Reed Experience” t-shirt and jeans. The Iron King of Phoenix Wrestling smiles widely, arms spread slightly, almost welcoming the audience to his video.
CASSIUS REED: “That’s right, this week Cassius is comin’ to you direct from the Land of the Risin’ Sun where, last night, your Iron King took the first step he needed to become the Lord of the Ring too. That’s right, whilst all these other suckas in Phoenix are sat around on their hands content with just havin’ to rock up to work once every coupla weeks, your Rebirth Champion is out here puttin’ in the work, not only makin’ sure that people the whole world over see the quality of what Phoenix Wrestlin’ has to offer, but also ensurin’ that you, Cassius’ adorin’ fans and subjects, get as many chances to see him as possible.”
Cassius turns his head to the right, where a second camera is ready to pick up his face in extreme close up, his million megawatt smile at the ready.
CASSIUS REED: “You’re welcome, by the way.”
He turns back, the footage seamlessly changing from the second camera back to the first.
CASSIUS REED: “You see, it isn’t enough for King Cassius to merely be here in Phoenix Wrestlin’, loved and adored by you all. No… The Cassius Reed Experience needs to be a global phenomenon. Really, it’s a service that Cassius is doin’, not only for you, his loyal subjects, but also for the less fortunate elsewhere. For the fans of Union Battleground, who are in desperate need of someone with even an ounce of charisma to lift them out of the doldrums of their daily lives and give them a reason to live and tune in every other week. For the people in Japan, who have been denied access to the Funkiest wrestler on the planet since his victory in last year’s Passion of the Juniors Cup. For the poor fans in Russia, who in the next round of the Lord of the Ring tournament get to see for the very first time the Funkiness that is King Cassius. You see it ain’t for Cassius that Cassius drives onward, wrestles in these huge tournaments, travels the world over… no. It’s for you. The people.”
Another dart to the side camera. Almost a carbon copy of the first cut, the million dollar smile comes back into play.
CASSIUS REED: “You’re welcome.”
Once more, the action switches back to the first camera as Cassius’ head turns back.
CASSIUS REED: “But don’t you worry, Phoenix. As long as the Rebirth Championship hangs around Cassius’ waist, he ain’t goin’ anywhere. He made you all that promise, and he ain’t about to break it. Because if he did… what would you all be left with, really? You’d have the Collective, still recyclin’ the same Gangster clichés you’ve all heard a million times, ever since Goodfellas came out. You’d have psycho owl boy jumpin’ about the rafters like who the Funk knows what, bleedin’ creepy over everythin’ that walks… and you’d have Faith.”
And again, the side camera comes into play.
CASSIUS REED: “Now this, boys and girls, is the part of this production where King Cassius proceeds to talk trash about his opponent. You’re welcome.”
And we’re back to the main camera.
CASSIUS REED: “Faith. In Phoenix Wrestlin’, with all it’s fire and bird imagery, she’s your Icarus right there. You see, when she was in RISE, Cassius used to get process reports about her regular, same as any of them. She the classic example of someone who rose quick, touched the sun… and got burnt. Big time. You ain’t needin’ Cassius to tell you about how she’s struggled ever since, it’s there on the internet, take a look. See her never quite manage to make an impact in RISE, before flunkin’ out after failin’ to pick up the belt. See her failin’ again and again to beat Aurora one on one…”
Side camera.
CASSIUS REED: “A feat Cassius has achieved, just to make sure you’re all keepin’ score.”
Main camera.
CASSIUS REED: “And with every single match, see that chip on her shoulder grow. The size that mammajamma is by now it’s just holdin’ her back, more like a boulder tied around her neck than anythin’ else. See, she’s that type of wrestler that ain’t able to handle her own mistakes. Take her last match. Double countout. Now any rational sucka can see that if her or her partner had just got in the ring when they had the opportunity, that would have been that, but no. That ain’t how Faith rolls. Better to get in a wild brawl with your opponents, ignorin’ the rules of the match, and then blame the people who hold up those rules. Because without rules, then what’s the point in this whole thing. It ain’t competition then, it’s just fightin’. And that right there? That’s why Cassius is puttin’ it all out there to stop her in Utah.”
A crack of the knuckles, a pop of the neck.
CASSIUS REED: “This is competition. One of the best competitive battlin’ environments in the world. And if Faith just wants to fight however? Then she needs to get her ass down to some underground bear pit and go whole hog. Because what she’s doin’ invites anarchy… and King Cassius will not tolerate anarchy in his Iron Kingdom. Cassius don’t care who you are, who you think you are, or what your beef is. Phoenix is his Kingdom. And if you threaten the sanctity of the Iron Kingdom? That’s treason, which in turn carries the Death Penalty.”
He lets that thought hang in the air just a moment.
CASSIUS REED: “The only faith the people of Phoenix are goin’ to find on the 11th is their faith in Plan C. Oh… and one more thing.
The main camera moves into extreme close up, and the smile grows cold, and sinister, a slight smirk playing over his lips.
CASSIUS REED: “Long live the King.”