Nariko Inazuma vs Georgie Nickles

[Alex Smiley]

Reminder:

- Word limit for Group Stage matches is 1500.
- 1 RP per wrestler per match.
- Deadline: December 9, 2018, at 11:59PM Pacific.

[Rebel Child]

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. ~ George Santayana

The 02 Arena was as still as a funeral parlor after lights out, there was no roar of a crowd, the squawking of maintenance men bitching about having to fix the lighting, not even someone in a suit and tie trying their best billion dollar bleach smile on someone who is looking to either have the arena be a location for the next big band or sporting event.   There was nothing at all but silence, silence and the ghosts of a past that had been once upon a time been buried underneath the burning cinders and rubble of a wrestling match that had gone terribly terribly wrong, at the hands of a madman.    It had been in the papers, on the news, the radio, YouTube when it wasn't at its infancy but still not as big as it was today, and all social media.  A wrestling company known as TFWF had single handedly burnt down part of the 02 Arena, leaving the company in financial straits as well as the future of the arena itself uncertain.  There was no evidence of the event now, life went on, and there were few around who remembered it as more than just an occurrence.  There was nothing but the memories and the ghosts that lingered in the shadows in the arena, save for one living soul who decided to give these memories company.

They walked among the concession windows, slowly. 

Trailing down the steps of the arena of the mezzanine.

Before they finally arrived to the epicenter of it all – the place where the Experts ring would be raised for one night and one night only in the arena, where wrestlers from past and present hit the canvas. 

There was nothing there now though, nothing of import at least.

Just a woman, a folding chair, and a dusty old camcorder that had most assuredly seen better days. 

"History has a funny way of coming full circle," the blue haired wrestler known as Georgie Nickles, the REAL Rebel Child spoke quietly as she glances around the arena for a moment, "it was here that the death of TFWF was all but certain, a fire started by Dorian Wong so fucking long ago I can't even remember why.  But from the ashes, the TFWF was reborn and continued on for several more years before they finally shuttered the doors for good, going out on top.  And now... four years later, from the ashes and the dust that had settled upon the Experts, the Extreme tournament has once more been reborn; and with it we have quite a few faces from the past that have returned, and we have new blood to whet the canvas of the ring that carries within it its own history, its own memories."  Her eyebrow raises up slightly as her head tilts, "and before we decide that I am getting all poetic about it, symbolic – oh no.  No. No.  No. No," she gave a soft mirthless chuckle as she shook her head gently, "I mean that in very literal, very visceral sort of way.  And I feel like I need to give a small little history lesson to my opponent for this week, because Nariko Inazuma, a woman who may have been taught by Leander Apollo and Chris Strike, is doubtful to know that history.  She's new to the scene, and I can't fault her that, in fact.. I feel a need to prepare her for it."

Rolling a shoulder, the Rebel Child slowly stands up, running her hand over the top of the folding chair and shakes her head, "Nariko," she leans against the chair with a sigh, looking straight into the camera as her head tilts, "I want to be honest with you about this, because I don't know if Leander or Strikey could even get you prepared for what it is you are going to endure.  You see, the Experts is known for four things, bringing together wrestlers who would otherwise never meet or compete against one another, a forlorn prison in Siberia, former madmen running the company... And... carnage.  Sheer, unadulterated carnage.  And I don't mean to tell you that to intimidate you, Nariko.  I don't mean to tell you this so you'll be too frightened to get on the plane and not show up at the 02 Arena," she shakes her head again, "that's not me.  I am telling you this because I want you to be ready for what is going to happen in this match, what is going to happen in this tournament.  No DQ?  That's only the tip of the iceberg of the things that are going to come.  Tack matches, light tubes, tables, chairs, ladders... Oh my.  And even THEN, that will not be the end of it, because that is the way the Experts is, that is the way the Extreme Tournament has always been, and it is not for the faint of heart."  Slowly moving around the chair once more, her eyes slowly look over the arena in thought, before those cool blue eyes return to the camera, "and while I know you're the courageous sort, that you have a never say quit attitude even when it looked like the odds were always going to be against you.... This... This is a whole new ball game, this is a whole new playing field, and this... THIS is where you will be baptized by blood and by pain in ways that you have only ever heard of, but never experienced.  You may not be able to walk out of the ring after our match," a slow knowing smirk comes to her lips, "but you will walk away from this match... forever changed.  Because that is what the Experts does to someone, THAT is what the Extreme Tournament does to a person... That is what it has done to me."

Nodding her head slowly, "I was young and wide eyed when I first signed on the dotted line, because I wanted the challenge and hell I thought it was fun, but I was completely unaware of what it could do to a person.  But then... Something happened, something switched on in the gray matter, and I realized... I liked it.  I excelled at it.   And well... Wouldn't you know it... The very first Extreme Tournament I entered... I won, and walked away the True Expert.  Not many people believed I could do it, not many people would have ever thought that I had what it takes to overcome the odds, but week in...week out... I fought for my chance, I BLED for my chance, and I will do the same this in this match, and the next to come, and the next after that.   There are no rules in this match, Nariko.  There are no rules, and there will be no quarter given to you.  I will make you bleed.  That is not a threat, but a promise, a vow that I make to you.  The warnings that Leander and Strikey are going to give you about me?  About how I can be one of the most ruthless bitches in this sport?  Listen to them.  Of course, they aren't talking about the me that has pulled her head out of her ass after she was part of the One Ring Circus that ran rampant through various different wrestling promotions, but the warning still should be very loud and very clear.  Because ever since I stepped back into the Experts ring in Siberia, I've become hungry.  I've become voracious.  Starving for the next match, the next time my feet hit the canvas, for the roar of the crowd, the adrenaline pumping in my veins, and the pain that comes afterward."  Slowly sitting back down, the Rebel Child takes a moment to collect her thoughts, "and I still haven't forgotten the feeling of my face glossed in the sticky crimson of blood.  Mine... My opponents... Didn't matter then... Doesn't matter now.  I just remember the feeling of wanting more.  And I want more now, Nariko.  I plan on making sure that your first match in the Experts, in this Extreme Tournament is one that you will never forget, for as long as you enter the wrestling ring and beyond."  A slow smile comes to her lips, "my history has come full circle.  Right in this very arena, and it will be right in this very arena where I begin a new chapter.  And you.... You will become part of that history... as you become just another casualty for the cause."  The scene slowly fades out as Georgie Nickles' blue eyes stare into the camera.

[Strike]

"Are you 100% positive about this?"

"Nariko, I've already made my retirement official. There is no way that I'll be able to use this, even if I wanted to."

A certain letter sat on the table in between their seats within the inside of Leander Apollo's home in the neighborhood of Astoria, deep within Queens, New York. For a young nineteen-year-old who was still only in the beginnings of a career in pro wrestling, the contents of the letter that was handed to her and that she read over and over again felt like the weight of a world put right onto her shoulders. It made her look even more starry eyed when looking at someone who had been under these circumstances before and how they handled it all.

"But this isn't just some tournament," Nariko replied, one particular sentence from the letter burned into her mind. "This is the Extreme Tournament. The tournament, at that. And it's your invitation...not mine."

"I've already spoken with Kahrs about it," Leander explained, leaning forward from his chair. There were bags under his eyes, something Nariko deduced had to do with recently having become a father and taking care of his newborn daughter. "All he needs is confirmation from me as to who my replacement would be under the circumstances...and well, much like I did, you came out of All-Star Wrestling Gym."

Nariko shook her head. "You know there are people from there who probably deserve this more than I do." A hard thing to admit, but even Nariko could look herself in the mirror and know that her current resume combined with youth didn't make for a compelling case compared to so many others who'd be far better suited for this role. "It's almost been two years now since I debuted, Leander...and I can count the number of victories I've had total in those two years on both hands. I'm not r-"

"This tournament...it's an opportunity, Nariko," Apollo stated, interrupting her and taking the time to look the young woman dead in the eyes. "Seven years ago, I went from a relative nobody to being recognized as one of the absolute best tag team wrestlers and technicians on Earth. This tournament gave me the platform to do it, regardless of whether I considered myself ready or not. Time cannot prepare you for something like this...it's just something that you have to do. So do it, Nariko."

Apollo picked up the invitation from the table once again, holding onto it and looking over it rather fondly before exhaling and once again, extending the invitation towards her. An invitation that he could no longer accept...and yet, one that his chosen proxy most certainly could use.

"Use this and make your own legacy."



The intimidation that something the size of the O2 Arena would give out on its sheer size was thankfully not an immediate thing that came to the mind of Nariko Inazuma as she saw a red light turn on from a handheld camera by one of her best friends. The convenience of her group being all the way here in London was also beautiful when given her current "excursion" from her home company DIVINE Pro had her based in Newcastle upon Tyne for Shooting Star Wrestling Alliance...only a half-day trip via train compared to flying thousands of miles was a welcome sight and it made looking at this place from the outside easier.

The hard part would come once it was time to step into the ring against an absolute legend.

"When it comes to rabble rousers in professional wrestling, I don't think you can go through the history books without mentioning Georgie Nickles in the very first page. Anyone who has any semblance of homework done over the past decade knows the name and knows the reputation all too well. A loaded weapon that can go off at anyone and anything that stands in between her and the cause she represents, an outright legend from days past and someone who's coming back into familiar territory with this year's Extreme Tournament. Hell, she's been a True Expert in the past. She knows what it takes. Contrary to me, who's walking into this one only knowing the stories from what I have heard and what I have seen. Being the legitimate new kid in town is one thing and on top of it, I get a group of death to go along with that...talk about some luck, huh? But luck or lack thereof aside, I'm not coming into this one with my eyes blind."

There was a moment of reprieve, a means to gather any and all thoughts before delving further forward with a sudden pause. No hindsight would occur in this scenario, much less against this group. Nariko promised herself just as much.

"I've watched your work long before this tournament and I recall a time where six companies formed the Experts umbrella and they were the alpha and omega of this sport. I remember seeing the Rebel Child who fought for the stuff she felt was right to the Original Rebel Child who damn near crippled an entire company alongside six others because she got a little too much into her own feelings. I've seen you fight, bleed, cry, win, lose and draw. I can respect the road that you paved for the generation that followed and I understand that you're still capable of doing the kind of damage for which you were infamous for in your prime. But Georgie, I just want to make this really clear before we go into this fight inside of the O2.

I will not allow myself to be intimidated neither your reputation nor your ability."

She let those words linger briefly, meaning to make this message loud and clear.

"There was a friend that once told me: the fruits of your labor will lay the seeds that will blossom into your immense success. For nearly two years, I have fought with my heart and I...I have suffered countless loss after countless loss. But with each loss, each effort, I kept fighting with that belief my friend has had in me. That those fruits would eventually blossom. It wasn't until I came to England on excursion that I tasted victory inside of the squared circle for the first time and even with those efforts bearing a small bit of fruit, the number of total wins I have in my career can be counted on both of my hands. I know defeat as if it were a parent, Georgie Nickles. It has embraced me far too many times while I have grown as a professional wrestler and while losses like the ones I have had in my two years have broken and will break lesser people in this industry, it has only made me hungrier. Hungry for the taste of victory, hungry for self-improvement and the legend of the Extreme Tournament has brought me here...and I'm starving, Georgie. I'm starving for the level of recognition that this tournament has, for the same kind of buzz and hype that has elevated so many names in years past to the heights in which they have achieved!

I want that same recognition that has made you and others into household names and I do not and will not apologize for my boldness in saying that I need this tournament far more than you have ever needed it in years past! So your rebellious spirit and attitude, your experience, the absolute pain that you plan on bringing to me to claim the seeds of victory...none of that is going to be enough. Because I've got more than just my own stuff on the line here."

She shook her head, eyes narrowing and with it, she felt herself letting emotions rise to the forefront rather than keeping any kind of a cool facade as she'd been attempting to throughout the entire recording.

"There was one man whose spot this was supposed to be originally...Leander Apollo. He and I both cut our teeth in pro wrestling in the exact same wrestling school. Two years of busting my ass in pro wrestling produced a fruit, it produced an opportunity to where Leander saw it upon himself to pass on the invitation that was his before Michael Norcia retired him. He passed that on to me. Not as a means of succeeding him but as a means to pay it forward, to do the same thing that The Experts did for him all the way back in 2011 when he first broke into the world stage...

So Georgie Nickles, I'm afraid I can't be yet another casualty to your cause.

Because your cause doesn't have anything whatsoever on this one chance that I was given.

I will put you down for the count, Georgie Nickles...and I will grow stronger for it!"