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I bury hatchets, but I keep maps to where I put 'em.
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Post by Eden on Oct 14, 2020 22:13:06 GMT -5
LOCATION & ARENASyrene, CaliforniaThe Elysium ArenaROLEPLAY & SEGMENT DEADLINES Friday, October 23rd, 2020 at 9 PM PST, Midnight EST, 11 PM CT (US) Saturday, October 24th, 2020 at 5 AM (UK) Saturday, October 24th, 2020 at 4 PM (AUS)
ROLEPLAY LIMIT ONE per competitor 1000 to 2000 words
SEGMENTS Reward: 1 bonus point added to your total rp score. Open to Anyone!To qualify for the bonus point, you must RSVP your seg before RP deadline and get it in before Midnight EST on Sunday! For tournament brackets updated as we progress, go here! Match Three:Germany versus the PhilippinesJoshua Kaine versus Demetrius LaneJosh Kaine, with only one loss, could still be in the running. Lane, with two, is more of a longshot. But both of these men are champions of good sportsmanship, so we'd have loved to seen this match even without Shogun!
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Professional
17 POSTS & 5 LIKES
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Post by Demetrius "Godzilla" Lane on Oct 22, 2020 5:09:50 GMT -5
Scene: Inferno Arms! Biceps of a Cherry Tree Scream!
We join Demetrius Lane as he is already overlooking a vast landscape of lush green mountain valleys and teal waters. He sits upon a large boulder somewhere along what’s called “The Rabbit’s Ear” around seventeen-hundred feet in elevation. Even the gargantuan mass that is the Juggernaut of WWH seems small in comparison to the grand view from the volcanic Mount Mayon. Despite the high elevation, he is not dressed for cold weather. Indeed, he still sports black shorts, a black sleeveless muscle shirt and black trekking shoes build for the rough terrain in which he was traversing. Godzilla speaks, although not in a tone of happiness nor enjoyment of his surroundings.
Demetrius Lane: I lost...Zolton beat me. My run of the Shogun...is over.
Lane’s nostrils flare. Partially from the not so pleasant scent of sulphurous gases that are emitting from the very active volcano. Tourists were not permitted to reach the summit due to the dangers of the Mayon Volcano. Although some less responsible guides may take their clients upwards of two thousand feet. Anything more than that and you would certainly be overwhelmed by the fumes.
Demetrius Lane: Now a lot of jabroni’s who can’t fight like “Marvelous” Mike Mason are gonna run their mouths and laugh about how I didn’t just lose. I lost by submission. Like that somehow makes a difference. Like I’m somehow less tough than I was perceived to be...because I had to tap out for the loss.
The King of the Monsters scoots himself closer to the trail from which he took a break from to sit upon this rock and take in the breathtaking view of another classic, if risky filipino tourist attraction for the Luzon Island from the Albay province. He grasps a hold of some sediment and feels the warmth of Mayon from the very rock and dirt which rests upon it. Even in late October, the heat emanating from this peak made for a comfortable hike. Demetrius takes his attention and brings it to bear with direct eye contact of the camera. His eyes filled with remorse, yet determination.
Demetrius Lane: Let me sit ya’ll down and explain something to you as simple as I can. There’s no more shame in losing via tapout than losing by any other legitimate means. To pin a guys shoulders to the mat in this day and age, you just gotta knock the wind out of him for three whole seconds. Now to be fair? Whether you’re in the ring, in the cage, on the street in a fight? Three seconds can be an eternity. While to beat a man by submission...grab a limb of your choice and they don’t tap out IMMEDIATELY, you’re choked out. Your arm is snapped. Your calf is crushed. Any real fighter will tell you they’d rather tap out as soon as they know they can’t solve the puzzle and save their CAREER. That’s why the second one is slapped on in mixed martial arts, a smart fighter taps out immediately and lives to fight another day. Submission’s are a damn set scarier than pinfalls. All those wannabee tough guys who buck up and be like “Hurr durr I never tap out. You gotta make me pass out before I EVER give up.” Those people are already mentally challenged. And by the time oxygen has been deprived to their brain long enough for them to blackout and the referee has to call it off? They’ve just taken ten years off their God damned career with the amount of brain damage they’ve subjected themselves to just to prove you’re some ultimate tough guy.
Demetrius allows himself to sigh with a deep and powerful breath. His beady eyes focus harder with purpose. Lane definitely puts more bass in his voice to emphasize the seriousness of his next proclamation.
Demetrius Lane: So if you wanna look at me like I’m somehow less of a man because Zolton submitted me. Or Because Sah’ta Thor rolled me up. Because these superior fighters took advantage of my lack of experience? Feel free. I look forward to seeing the look on your face when I’ve beaten you because you chose it was wise to underestimate Godzilla.
It particularly hurt to admit to himself that it was his lack of experience more than anything that has cost him any chance at recent success. If Mayumi Aquino were here, his most recent trainer in her attempts to prepare him for his Shogun opponents, she would be sure to admonish him for thinking that success could possibly come at such a breakneck pace. You don’t solve being green by a few short weeks of intense training. It takes months, if not years of hard work to even get decent at this craft we call wrestling. Countless who try don’t make it. Demetrius would most certainly continue to struggle with his innermost doubts whether or not he can.
Demetrius Lane: One guy I can hope is wise enough to take me seriously beyond my standings in the tournament, is Josh Kaine. It might not mean much coming from me considering I’m not in a position to be looked up to. But I’ve been impressed by The Hunter. This is a guy who took the Shogun Tournament, and really put in the effort to represent his country of Germany with pride. I recognize the contrasts between us and realize my own mistakes throughout this whole process. I’ve treated the Philippines as one big vacation resort on the dime of my friend King Ikaika. I’ve done fuck all to appreciate the culture, language and spirit of this country beyond how delicious the fucking food is. Now if I was supposed to be selling you on some Staycation serial for the Food Network that’d be great. But I can’t deny the fundamental mistakes I’ve made in honoring what the Shogun is supposed to be all about. Josh Kaine has done the opposite. So it’s no wonder he’s in a position to be two wins to one loss, and I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Is that...tears? Yes...Demetrius is forced to face the truth of his situation. To confront the extent of his hubris. Despite all his words to the contrary, Godzilla clearly has allowed his attention to be stretched thin in a thousand directions. He didn’t take the tournament as seriously as he should, and he has been made to pay the price time and again. But his lips become terse as he speaks. Lane stands more menacingly against the camera that remains low, accentuating his size with the sun and partly cloudy horizon to make for an impressive backdrop for the King of the Monsters to make his further monologue.
Demetrius Lane: But you’re still hoping for a hail mary here, Josh. You’re banking on your ability to overcome a one hundred pound weight difference and beat me just so you can be ranked amongst the top. What then though? You’re still betting that Sah’ta Thor and/or Renee Jonae don’t advance undefeated. Zolton’s going against Latoya Hixx, so even if you pass me you’re both going three and one. If Sah’ta & Jonae advance, all your efforts are for naught. If one of them falls, you’ve got three people who are three and one. Who advances? IF you beat me. IF the undefeateds lose their match you MIGHT be considered for the Semi-Finals. That’s a lot of “If’s” Kaine. In a lot of ways, I don’t think you’re considering just how much of an advantage I HAVE going up against you.
Demetrius extends his arms as if he’s entreating his opponent to somehow leap through the lens and confront him there and then. Josh Kaine and Demetrius Lane. Battling to become King of Mediocre Mountain. With only Kaine having the slightest sliver of a chance to make something more of an opportunity. The former neutral expression of Demetrius has now turned into a grimace of bad intentions. His eyes begin to burn with volcanic fire. The wind picks up around him and rustles the gravel around as the stage continues to be set for what is sure to be another epic confrontation between Godzilla and the ultra talented competition from World Wrestling Headquarters.
Demetrius Lane: That’s right. Think about it. I’m already out. Even if I were to beat you, I just get to break even. I’ve got no pressure here. The lame brains are already going to poke at Godzilla and laugh about how my triple threat match against Thor and Zolton was “Just a fluke” Because I lost singles contests against the both of them. Any trash talk Mike Mason is gonna use against me leading into the Shogun Pay-Per-View is already going to sting as bad as it’s gonna get from that mustached prick. But you’ve got the whole nation of Germany on your shoulders. Real career defining potential if you can roll the dice and score a critical hit. I tell you if you’re NOT feeling the pressure, you’re a damned fool. I’ve already failed the Philippines. So fuck it! I’m just winning this match because I’m pissed off and have something to prove!
An unprepared soul might leap in fright from the sudden surge of movement that comes from Demetrius Lane. He advances on the camera’s position, lifts it up within his hamhock sized hands and holds it squarely in a way that only shows the upper flanks of the mammoth King of the Monsters. Somehow his shoulders become broader. His eyes become wider. His teeth sharper. His nostrils flare once again, his tongue tasting the dry sulfuric air that poisons the air and infects his lungs as if his very words will summon flames of the Earth and aid in his scorched earth strategy of crushing Josh Kaine just for the sake of sending a message that Godzilla came to Shogun to win every match. Not merely give up when it was clear he had no incentive to do so. As far as Lane was concerned, he has all the incentive in the world to recover from his loss to Zolton and end off his tournament run strong and dominant.
Demetrius Lane: You need to understand...I threw everything I could at Zolton...I gave him 100% and it wasn’t...good...enough. The King of the Monsters is angry...but I’m not wounded. I’ve allowed myself to be distracted by my friends, by my family, by my trainer. I’ve allowed myself to grow soft while relaxing in the turquoise waters of paradise...all the while Sah’ta Thor, Zolton, Mike Mason have all been dumping toxic waste into the Pearl of the Orient. And now...Godzilla is burning with rage. I respect you, Josh Kaine. I admire what you’ve done representing your country in this tournament. But what I have to do to you...isn’t personal. We’re strictly talking business, and it’s in my business’ best interest to rip you limb from limb...and burn what remains in Atomic Fire....
With the glare of the sun itself beginning to obscure the visage of Demetrius, one could hardly be blamed for almost mistaking him for resembling a raging Kaiju on top of the Mountain of Mayon. The Hunter will be face to face with the largest trophy of his career in more ways than one. A shot at the Shogun finals hangs in the balance for Josh. But for the King of the Monsters, this would serve as a far bigger test than either superstar was initially prepared for. As so much more can be gleaned from even the matches serving the middle of the pack placements. THAT’S the importance of Shogun. THAT’S the fighting spirit that encompasses every competitor. And THAT is why you absolutely cannot miss this exciting edition of WWH Dystopia!
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Legend
40 POSTS & 2 LIKES
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Post by Josh Kaine | Maggie McIntyre on Oct 23, 2020 12:03:16 GMT -5
Guten Tag, Mr. Lane. Nice to finally be talkin’ to ya, excited about it, to tell the truth.
I’ve been facin’ all sorts of beasts and monsters in this tournament.
Now I get the king of ‘em. So let’s get right to the meat of it.
Of course this ain’t personal, Mr. Godzilla, but you’re dead wrong in thinkin’ you ain’t been wounded. I mean, you ain’t got no broken bones or big gashes in your skin, nah...but you did take a big ol’ blow to that pride of yours.
Don’t deny it.
Any man who calls himself King of Monsters got a whole heapin’ mess of pride and there ain’t nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal who ain’t got nothin’ left to lose.
Learned that growin’ up huntin’ with my Pop back home in Lenoir. Learned that while I was trainin’ with my Ma in Boston.
Learned that real well when the resident big bad evil guys in the EWA collared me and chained me up in a basement for two weeks. You learn a lot about the kinda strength you can tap into when you’re backed into a corner with no other options.
And you got strength comin’ out your ears, Bro. I mean, you’re Demetrius fuckin’ Lane...Godzilla, King of Monsters. You got strength in admittin’ you done a piss poor job representin’ your country in this tournament. Takes a lot of courage for a man to admit when he done fucked up and gotta try to do better. So I’ma be up front and tell y’all, there ain’t been no one in this tournament or any matches I’ve had since I was signed that I didn’t take seriously.
Faced off against some serious contenders in this tournament so far, Mr. Lane, you know that.
Only one who stopped me so far was Renee Jonae and she busted my nose, but ain’t gonna hold that against her or the fact that she decides not to like me for no good reason. I mean, ain’t done nothin’ to her except beat her friend in a match--oh, recall her sayin’ something about because of who I associate with. I mean, me and the Amazon got a past, but outside of gettin’ superkicked by a Banshee last show, I don’t really associate with no one here. Sometimes, huntin’ alone is the only way to go. Don’t gotta worry about no one but yourself.
That hasn’t been the whole case with this tournament.
My ties to Germany might be scant, but I’ve done my damnedest to try and be a good representative, yanno? I’ve probably said it before, but it was a German lady who helped my Ma out back when she left my birth dad. That lady’s son came stateside with my Ma years back and he’s a good friend of mine now too--his name is Mikhail. He’s the one what started me on the path to learnin’ the language and the history and...I didn’t wanna let him down and I certainly don’t wanna let the good folks in Germany down.
So when I step in the ring with you, Mr. Godzilla, I got a pretty good idea of what I’m up against.
An angry, wounded monster who’s gonna give me everything he’s got because it’s his one last chance.
I stopped the Lyoness. I stopped the Beast. Certainly showed the Black Fairy whatfor, despite gettin’ pinned. Just like you’re now realizin’ how much you fucked up your chances to advance in this tournament, Mr. Godzilla, the folks on the Dystopia roster are just now realizin’ what Josh Kaine can do. Gonna see a literal clash of the titans...aw hell, what do they call them big monster things...KAIJU! Yeah, it’ll be a showdown, but the only king leavin’ the ring under his own power won’t be you, King o’ Monsters.
It’ll be me. It ain’t the first time I’ll be a part of somethin’ with three heads.
Before this, I was part of somethin’ called Cerberus.
This time, I’ll be the most worthy adversary you’ve ever seen.
You can just call me King Ghidorah, Mr. Lane. I’ll see you in the ring.
Josh Kaine heaved a sigh and leaned over, turning the camera off on his phone before shoving the damn thing back into his pocket. He’d shot the promo in his truck, parked off in the lot not too far from where Nikki’s houseboat was docked. This particular show was going to be a doozy. He’d given his best to Renee Jonae and had come up short, but he wasn’t going to fall into some deep depression or questioning himself because of it. She’d simply been the better competitor that night and as much as he didn’t like it, he’d been beaten by the top ranked wrestler on the roster.
The Hunter had also had the unfortunate luck of crossing paths with a Banshee that night and while he’d apologized, it seemed she wasn’t all too ready to forgive him either. Which was fine, in and of itself. People held grudges in this industry--his mother had told him once to never underestimate the lengths to which people will go to fuck you over.
There was another sigh before he kicked open the door of the big truck and jumped out, heading back down the dock. Nikki’d had her fitting for the wedding a few days ago, but hadn’t let Jada know too much. She had listened to her mentor, but this was one thing they’d agreed to keep to themselves for now. Nikki had a lot on the line with Ashes of the Wake...and Josh had already run afoul of the Revolutionaries in beating the Lyoness and Renee Jonae deciding he was bad news.
He slid the glass door of the houseboat open, crossing over to the Amazon and plopping unceremoniously down next to her on the couch. He leaned over for a moment, pressing a kiss to her temple before sliding down to get comfortable. “Got my promo for Mr. Godzilla all shot, gonna get it uploaded tomorrow. He’s gonna be an even bigger challenge than Wideline was...I mean, Renee Jonae...facin’ her was like trainin’ with Miss Lilah. You ain’t never know what she’s gonna throw at ya, but she ain’t hard to read like Miss Lilah is. Ain’t no doubt I’m faster’n him, but he’s gonna pack a wallop when he hits me.”
It was inevitable, after all. There would eventually be an instance where Demetrius Lane would catch and deliver the mother of all blows to Josh Kaine.
She grinned at the kiss, and as he settled in she leaned against his shoulder. "I don't envy you that. Lane's on a hot streak out of the gate, and he's not just a big clunky wrestler depending on his size like most of the giants do. Then again, you're on a hot streak out of the gate too. That tournament's really let you guys show your stuff."
“Yeah, I mean, kinda hard to not wanna kick Renee Jonae right in the mouth. Reminds me of Sahara, but just not as mean. I know she’s got a mean streak in her, but she ain’t the type to let someone go down on her and then break his leg for the fun of it just because she’s got her head so far up someone else’s ass she can’t think for herself. She’s a smart one like you, but she’s seein’ everythin’ in black and white. Her’n her posse are the good guys, you’n Mr. Havoc are the bad.”
Josh knew better than to see the world in absolutes. It had lost him everything, once upon a time, including the Amazon leaned against him. “You know I’ll follow you through hell now, just...ain’t ready to pick a side for the world to see yet. ‘Specially not with this tournament still on. I got a chance of makin’ the semi-finals if I win this one. Kinda makes me look forward to the weddin’ a little more, at least the lines there are a little more clear than on the roster.”
"But just as antagonistic--" she sputtered out, "though I guess that's just me and my brother. We might have enough between us to stack up, though." She shut her eyes, almost wincing. "I wanted to be there for him with what Reno did, but I just... can't pull back. Because he won't. You know?"
“I know, ain’t no clear lines when it comes to our families, Nik, they’re just easier to sort out than some of these folks in WWH ‘cause we’ve known ‘em longer.”
He adjusted his weight, putting an arm around her as the entire house shifted in the water when the massive red mastiff jumped down from the bed and moved to settle her bulk on the floor in front of the couch. “Mr. Tarzan’s good at holdin’ grudges...and I ain’t lookin’ forward to this match you got either. The Lyons’ ain’t no slouches in the ring and your brother only sees what he wants to see.”
That wincing expression softened a little as she relaxed into him. "One thing at least on yours, you know Godzilla won't try something underhanded if the opportunity strikes. Morality might be more like a scatter chart than a black-and-white divide here, but he seems about as squeaky clean as it gets."
“I don’t put it past no one to do nothin’ that won’t get ‘em their way—but you’re right.” The release of that tension from her was almost palpable. Josh glanced toward the dog under their feet before back up at her. “He ain‘t inherently bad, just yanno...it’s kinda daunting to step in the ring with a dude Mr. Rayner’s size. He kicked the shit outta me for two months before he couldn’t catch me no more. Lane is younger. Quicker.”
The mohawked wrestler shook his head quickly before scrubbing his hands over his face. “Uh uh, told myself I wasn’t gonna do that. No second guessin’ myself, no bein’ afraid of who I’m facin’. Let’s talk about somethin’ else.”
She knew enough to know that despite therapy and time, some things just never left you...and Cal Rayner had been someone you just don’t forget. Josh looked up and turned his gaze her way. “I know! Which way’re you runnin’ when Miss Lilah throws the bouquet at the weddin’?”
"Away!" came quickly enough that her voice almost cracked from it. "No offense," she nudged his side, "but we're nowhere near ready for something like that right now. Jada doesn't even know we're a thing again. This is a thing, right?"
He let out a bark of laughter at her response, “None taken, Nik. I’ll be runnin’ with ya. I mean, Ma was up in arms about makin’ sure that just ‘cause your brother was her best man, didn’t mean I wasn’t too. You know how weird it was to have Ma be so damn motherly?” He paused for a moment, nudging her back and smiling. “Yeah, we’re a thing. She don’t know, ain’t no one’s business till we’re good‘n ready to tell ‘em. But if you or your brother start some shit, I promised Ma I’d drag ya outside...so I’m countin’ on you to start some shit because I can’t stand weddings. That way, we both got a way out. Deal?”
Nikki couldn't help a smug grin. "At least it looks like the wedding will fall after the pay per view so we can get the actual fight out of the way first. Maybe we'll just be down to screaming at each other by then. Maybe one of us'll be on crutches up there."
“Just won’t be us hobblin’ around.” He reassured her, heaving another sigh before pulling her in for a tight embrace. “Got the fight of our lives comin’ up, feels like. Ain’t neither of us goin’ through it alone.”
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