Post by centurion on Oct 25, 2021 13:42:14 GMT -5
The Tara Fenix Charity Cruise. Perhaps the Super Show that has been discussed the most over the past month. Anybody who is anybody in the professional wrestling world has signed up for this three day event, and it’s easy to see why – a week long cruise in exchange of one night’s worth of work is a great exchange rate. Plus, a massive main event on night three guarantees the buy rate is going to be huge. For the newer stars, it’s a great opportunity to show off their skills to prospective wrestling federations, all of whom will be watching this event. For the established stars, it’s a chance to increase their sponsorship money, and a big win in a pressure filled spot can lead to an increased asking price for any show looking to book one of these superstars.
Oh, and it’s all for charity, which matters to some...and just happens to be a side discussion for others.
The cruise ship is slowly beginning to bring on its passengers. For the general admission of the event, security checkpoints and ticket scans hold up the line. Frustrating as it may be, it is also incredibly normal and necessary, as pro wrestling fans are gross and insane. For the workers and VIPs, however, no such checkpoint exists, allowing them to just casually walk onto the ship with a simple flash of a badge.
That’s exactly what Centurion does, as he steps onto the deck of the ship, clad in a full suit and hat.
Centurion looks around at the deck and takes a deep breath, breathing in as much of the sea air as he can, before his girlfriend and general running mate Ruby walks up behind him. She wraps one arm around Centurion’s back, and the two of them look at the deck of the ship, taking in their surroundings.
“A little smaller than it seemed on the pictures.” Ruby suggests.
“No,” Centurion interjects. “I think there’s a lot more underneath, so it’s hard to see from up here. Besides, wait until you see the top deck. That’s apparently where the ring is going to be. It’s massive...or at least, it better be.”
“Would be weird if it wasn’t.” Ruby points out. “Then you’d just have a ring and no place to put any spectators, and the chances of someone getting town off into the water would be really high.”
“I think that’s going to happen anyway.” Centurion says in a half joking tone.
Both Centurion and Ruby glance around for some sort of signs to direct them where to go, but they can not spot anything immediately visibly to guide them; however, before they begin to randomly start walking, an excited looking man runs up to them, yelling out as he sees the two VIPs.
“Monsieur Cortinovis!” The man yells in a very thick French accent. He speeds up his walk before he gets directly in front of Centurion and Ruby. Centurion briefly sniffs the air and instantly the small of cologne hits his nostrils. The man, however, does not give Centurion or Ruby any time to introduce themselves. “Is so good to see you! My name is Emil, and I am your personal concierge.”
“Personal concierge?” Centurion questions. “Jeez, Tara pulls out all the stops for this one.”
“Miss Fenix wanted to make extra sure all wrestlers and their family have the absolute most pristine experience while they are taking part in this event. A personal “thank you” for everyone going out of their way and deciding to do this.”
“Wow.” Centurion exclaims, surprised by the level of hospitality that has been put into this event. Centurion doesn’t know Tara Fenix well – just a few conversations here and there about the business. It would not have surprised him to see a few things slip through the cracks, but the fact that she thought this far in advance is a good sign to come for the rest of the event. “We were told our bags would be taken care of?”
“Ah, yes.” Emil’s excitedness wears off as he begins to actually discuss the business at hand. “The crew is going through some last minute security checks with your items – nothing invasive. They just want to make sure you did not bring any weapons or explosives with you.”
“Why would anyone do that?” Centurion questions.
“This is a professional wrestling show.” Emil says with a half-smile.
“Good point.” Centurion acknowledges as he points over to Emil.
Emil continues. “Once the crew is done looking things over, they will deliver your items directly to your room. If you would like, I can take you to your cabin now, or I can show you around the boat. It is your choice.”
Centurion glances over at Ruby, who yawns and stretches her arms above her head. Ruby isn’t going to say one way or another, but she and Centurion share the same thought – go back to the room, take a nap, wake up, perhaps break in the cabin a bit, then do all the fun things a cruise ship offers. Centurion gives a slight nod before turning back towards Emil.
“Let’s just head to the room.”
“Wonderful.” Emil says, as if it were an automatic response that he was going to say no matter what the answer was. “Follow me!”
Emil walks in front of Centurion and Ruby, and the two of them follow him down a hallway. On the right side of the hallway are the doors to various rooms on this particular deck of the ship. Some of the doors are open, with crew members inside cleaning them and making last minute preparations for the guests. Other doors are closed, with the implication being that they are currently filled with whoever is staying in them. On the left side of the hallway is the railing, which is currently overlooking the water, as well as the port that the charity cruise is taking off from.
“Each cabin was picked specifically for each person, based on the contracts we received and the various needs of each individual” Emil explains. “There are also multiple expenses that go towards running an event like this, so Miss Fenix solicited for some sponsors to help take the financial burden off of her. Those sponsors were also given priority accommodations.”
“Oh.” Centurion exclaims. “So Tara took bribes.”
Emil stops in his tracks and turns back towards Centurion with a very serious look in his eyes and tone to his voice. “No. Sponsors.”
“Hey, I’m not criticizing.” Centurion explains. “I respect the hustle. I’d probably do the same thing if I were her. Let her know I’m happy she got some of Chris Page’s money.”
“Our sponsors are not disclosed...”
“Yeah,” Centurion cuts Emil off before he is able to finish his sentence. “but I also know I’m going to see a video with Chris Page sitting in a hot tub surrounded by champagne bottles in a room that’s half the size of the entire ship, so you don’t have to really disclose anything to me.”
Emil turns and walks down the hallway, and Centurion glances over at Ruby, who glares at Centurion. Centurion knows that glare – it's the glare of Ruby saying “you can be nicer”. All Centurion can do is give an apology grin, causing Ruby to just shake her head and cover her eyes. Centurion knows that look, too – it's the look that says “you’re lucky you’re attractive, because I can’t hate you when you smile at me like that.” Ruby and Centurion can communicate more through facial expressions than most people can with actual words.
The three of them stop in front of a door, and Emil takes out an electronic key and waves it in front of the door handle, causing the door to beep and the sound of the door unlocking to be heard. The three of them step into the room, and Ruby is immediately impressed with what she sees.
Centurion looks around the room a bit as well, and smiles as he sees the accommodations. Centurion and Ruby’s bags are already in the room – set neatly on the bed, which impresses Centurion even more. Emil, meanwhile, is apologetic. “My apologies for not getting you a suite. Like I said, there were only so many rooms.”
“Stop...” Centurion cuts Emil off. “This is perfect. For just the two of us, this is more than what we need. Let Tara know we approve.”
“Wonderful!” The cheery disposition of that Emil had when he first met with Centurion and Ruby is back. “My contact information is next to the phone. If there is anything at all that you need, please contact me. I am here to make your stay as relaxing as possible.”
Emil bows, and Ruby, out of instincts, bows back. Centurion, feeling awkward, lightly pats Emil on the shoulder. Emil hands the keycard to Centurion before walkout out of the room. Immediately, Ruby takes her shirt off and flops, back first, onto the bed.
“I say we make the most out of this bed.” Ruby says as she exhales. “And by that, I mean we take a nap.”
“Yeah,” Centurion agrees “that’s not a bad idea, but I kind of want to get the promo out of the way first. Figured I’d record it now and get it put out there so I don’t have to worry about it the night before the show. Wanna toss me the GoPro?”
Ruby sighs as she sits back up and opens up her green and yellow suitcase, which doesn’t make her identity obvious in the slightest. She fishes around in the suitcase for a few seconds before throwing her GoPro camera over to Centurion.
“Just make sure you delete the rest of those files before you send it over to Tara.” Ruby says as she flops back down onto the bed. “The last thing we need is for Atty to get her hands on them.”
Centurion laughs as he looks around the room, attempting to find a decent spot to set up. After a few seconds, he grabs a coffee table from in front of the couch and pulls it toward the windows that look out into the ocean. Centurion then adjusts the chair so it is perfectly flat against the window. He sits down on the chair and places the GoPro camera onto the table before turning it on.
From the prospective of the GoPro, we see Centurion seated at the chair, with the vast ocean behind him. Centurion adjusts himself and the camera a few times before sitting back in the chair. He takes a deep breath and sits up straight before speaking.
“Hello from the Tara Fenix Charity Cruise! Allow me to begin by complimenting Tara, not only of the wonderful accommodations she has provided for her talent, but for being able to put this entire show together to begin with. Wrestlers are egomaniacs, so to convince a bunch of them to leave their home promotions to wrestle for charity? That is certainly not an easy thing to do, and I applaud Tara for this. You’re doing great things in the professional wrestling business.
...though, you’re also the reason I couldn’t bring my daughter with me on this trip, but we will save that discussion for another day.”
Centurion lets out a slight laugh in reference to Nellie’s very drunk, very honest tweet regarding Tara Fenix.
“I am honored to be headlining Night One of the Tara Fenix Charity Cruise. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “But Cent, you’re not main eventing Night One.” Yeah, well I absolutely should be! This match is an absolutely show stealer, and I can’t help but thing the appeal of having a “green hair vs blue hair” match was the sole reason for this contest, which features a wrestling legend and a current World Champion, wasn’t picked for closing match. Hey, whatever. It’s not my cruise, and I’m certainly not here to talk down on Lycana’s wrestling abilities, so I guess I just have to get over it.
Still, I am taking part in one of the marquee events of the weekend, and that is thanks in part to my opponent, Ashlynn Cassidy. Now, it would be incredibly easy for me to downplay the accomplishments that Ash has racked up in her short career, but that would be coming from a place of ignorance. I know nothing about Zion Wrestling, and to say their World Championship is meaningless would just be me talking for the sake of talking. She rose to the top of one of the brands in that federation. She is the face of a company. I honestly don’t care if that company is made up of 30 weasels – it exists, it makes money, and she had to beat people in order to get to the top, so hats off to her.
I also know she is in FIGHT NYC, which is filled with top notch talent. Those folks over there work their assess off, and if she can forge a name for herself among the cutthroat members of that roster, then she must have all the talent in the world.
But none of that is actually what impresses me most about Ashlynn Cassidy. What impresses me the most is that she was able to show up at a show in NFW, a company she doesn’t even work for, and get an entire roster to hate her in one night. Now THAT is impressive! That’s heat that folks only ever DREAM of. And it’s pretty amazing to me, too, because they want to make it seem like she committed some mortal sin by invading during a “memorial show”, as if this isn’t professional wrestling and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of foul things that have taken place in this business. If she decided to sign a contract with that company, she’d be their World Champion in two months. That’s how you play the game, folks.
All of that is great. Ashlynn has a nice resume behind her, she has the brightest of futures, and she already has some nuclear heat. Awesome...but she isn’t a legend. There are bumps and bruises you have to go through in order to earn that title, and Ashlynn isn’t there yet.
I don’t know how long you’ve been in the business, Ash. I don’t want to assume you just started wrestling six months ago, but I can guarantee you haven’t been in the business as long as I have. I’m pretty sure your hair was still wet from the womb when I wrestled my first match. Yes, that does make me old. Go ahead and tell everyone that, I’m sure they haven’t heard it before. Part of those twenty years is the education you gather from your time in the ring. Trust me, you never stop learning, even when everyone is ready to check you into a retirement home. There’s always something more to learn.
And I can tell you, without a doubt in my mind, that I have learned more from my losses than I have in any of my wins. The losses are what makes you stronger. They’re what give you clarity, and remind you that you’re human. Ash, you have a lot of learning to do, and I am honored to teach you a few things this coming weekend. Hopefully, when you’re getting to the end of what I am sure will be a Hall of Fame weekend, you will be able to stand in front of all your friends, fans, and former co-workers, and say “there was a lot I learned and a lot I accomplished, but I never would have gotten as far as I did if it wasn’t for the fact that Centurion allowed me to meet my...
FINAL FANTASY!!!
Oh, and it’s all for charity, which matters to some...and just happens to be a side discussion for others.
The cruise ship is slowly beginning to bring on its passengers. For the general admission of the event, security checkpoints and ticket scans hold up the line. Frustrating as it may be, it is also incredibly normal and necessary, as pro wrestling fans are gross and insane. For the workers and VIPs, however, no such checkpoint exists, allowing them to just casually walk onto the ship with a simple flash of a badge.
That’s exactly what Centurion does, as he steps onto the deck of the ship, clad in a full suit and hat.
Centurion looks around at the deck and takes a deep breath, breathing in as much of the sea air as he can, before his girlfriend and general running mate Ruby walks up behind him. She wraps one arm around Centurion’s back, and the two of them look at the deck of the ship, taking in their surroundings.
“A little smaller than it seemed on the pictures.” Ruby suggests.
“No,” Centurion interjects. “I think there’s a lot more underneath, so it’s hard to see from up here. Besides, wait until you see the top deck. That’s apparently where the ring is going to be. It’s massive...or at least, it better be.”
“Would be weird if it wasn’t.” Ruby points out. “Then you’d just have a ring and no place to put any spectators, and the chances of someone getting town off into the water would be really high.”
“I think that’s going to happen anyway.” Centurion says in a half joking tone.
Both Centurion and Ruby glance around for some sort of signs to direct them where to go, but they can not spot anything immediately visibly to guide them; however, before they begin to randomly start walking, an excited looking man runs up to them, yelling out as he sees the two VIPs.
“Monsieur Cortinovis!” The man yells in a very thick French accent. He speeds up his walk before he gets directly in front of Centurion and Ruby. Centurion briefly sniffs the air and instantly the small of cologne hits his nostrils. The man, however, does not give Centurion or Ruby any time to introduce themselves. “Is so good to see you! My name is Emil, and I am your personal concierge.”
“Personal concierge?” Centurion questions. “Jeez, Tara pulls out all the stops for this one.”
“Miss Fenix wanted to make extra sure all wrestlers and their family have the absolute most pristine experience while they are taking part in this event. A personal “thank you” for everyone going out of their way and deciding to do this.”
“Wow.” Centurion exclaims, surprised by the level of hospitality that has been put into this event. Centurion doesn’t know Tara Fenix well – just a few conversations here and there about the business. It would not have surprised him to see a few things slip through the cracks, but the fact that she thought this far in advance is a good sign to come for the rest of the event. “We were told our bags would be taken care of?”
“Ah, yes.” Emil’s excitedness wears off as he begins to actually discuss the business at hand. “The crew is going through some last minute security checks with your items – nothing invasive. They just want to make sure you did not bring any weapons or explosives with you.”
“Why would anyone do that?” Centurion questions.
“This is a professional wrestling show.” Emil says with a half-smile.
“Good point.” Centurion acknowledges as he points over to Emil.
Emil continues. “Once the crew is done looking things over, they will deliver your items directly to your room. If you would like, I can take you to your cabin now, or I can show you around the boat. It is your choice.”
Centurion glances over at Ruby, who yawns and stretches her arms above her head. Ruby isn’t going to say one way or another, but she and Centurion share the same thought – go back to the room, take a nap, wake up, perhaps break in the cabin a bit, then do all the fun things a cruise ship offers. Centurion gives a slight nod before turning back towards Emil.
“Let’s just head to the room.”
“Wonderful.” Emil says, as if it were an automatic response that he was going to say no matter what the answer was. “Follow me!”
Emil walks in front of Centurion and Ruby, and the two of them follow him down a hallway. On the right side of the hallway are the doors to various rooms on this particular deck of the ship. Some of the doors are open, with crew members inside cleaning them and making last minute preparations for the guests. Other doors are closed, with the implication being that they are currently filled with whoever is staying in them. On the left side of the hallway is the railing, which is currently overlooking the water, as well as the port that the charity cruise is taking off from.
“Each cabin was picked specifically for each person, based on the contracts we received and the various needs of each individual” Emil explains. “There are also multiple expenses that go towards running an event like this, so Miss Fenix solicited for some sponsors to help take the financial burden off of her. Those sponsors were also given priority accommodations.”
“Oh.” Centurion exclaims. “So Tara took bribes.”
Emil stops in his tracks and turns back towards Centurion with a very serious look in his eyes and tone to his voice. “No. Sponsors.”
“Hey, I’m not criticizing.” Centurion explains. “I respect the hustle. I’d probably do the same thing if I were her. Let her know I’m happy she got some of Chris Page’s money.”
“Our sponsors are not disclosed...”
“Yeah,” Centurion cuts Emil off before he is able to finish his sentence. “but I also know I’m going to see a video with Chris Page sitting in a hot tub surrounded by champagne bottles in a room that’s half the size of the entire ship, so you don’t have to really disclose anything to me.”
Emil turns and walks down the hallway, and Centurion glances over at Ruby, who glares at Centurion. Centurion knows that glare – it's the glare of Ruby saying “you can be nicer”. All Centurion can do is give an apology grin, causing Ruby to just shake her head and cover her eyes. Centurion knows that look, too – it's the look that says “you’re lucky you’re attractive, because I can’t hate you when you smile at me like that.” Ruby and Centurion can communicate more through facial expressions than most people can with actual words.
The three of them stop in front of a door, and Emil takes out an electronic key and waves it in front of the door handle, causing the door to beep and the sound of the door unlocking to be heard. The three of them step into the room, and Ruby is immediately impressed with what she sees.
Centurion looks around the room a bit as well, and smiles as he sees the accommodations. Centurion and Ruby’s bags are already in the room – set neatly on the bed, which impresses Centurion even more. Emil, meanwhile, is apologetic. “My apologies for not getting you a suite. Like I said, there were only so many rooms.”
“Stop...” Centurion cuts Emil off. “This is perfect. For just the two of us, this is more than what we need. Let Tara know we approve.”
“Wonderful!” The cheery disposition of that Emil had when he first met with Centurion and Ruby is back. “My contact information is next to the phone. If there is anything at all that you need, please contact me. I am here to make your stay as relaxing as possible.”
Emil bows, and Ruby, out of instincts, bows back. Centurion, feeling awkward, lightly pats Emil on the shoulder. Emil hands the keycard to Centurion before walkout out of the room. Immediately, Ruby takes her shirt off and flops, back first, onto the bed.
“I say we make the most out of this bed.” Ruby says as she exhales. “And by that, I mean we take a nap.”
“Yeah,” Centurion agrees “that’s not a bad idea, but I kind of want to get the promo out of the way first. Figured I’d record it now and get it put out there so I don’t have to worry about it the night before the show. Wanna toss me the GoPro?”
Ruby sighs as she sits back up and opens up her green and yellow suitcase, which doesn’t make her identity obvious in the slightest. She fishes around in the suitcase for a few seconds before throwing her GoPro camera over to Centurion.
“Just make sure you delete the rest of those files before you send it over to Tara.” Ruby says as she flops back down onto the bed. “The last thing we need is for Atty to get her hands on them.”
Centurion laughs as he looks around the room, attempting to find a decent spot to set up. After a few seconds, he grabs a coffee table from in front of the couch and pulls it toward the windows that look out into the ocean. Centurion then adjusts the chair so it is perfectly flat against the window. He sits down on the chair and places the GoPro camera onto the table before turning it on.
From the prospective of the GoPro, we see Centurion seated at the chair, with the vast ocean behind him. Centurion adjusts himself and the camera a few times before sitting back in the chair. He takes a deep breath and sits up straight before speaking.
“Hello from the Tara Fenix Charity Cruise! Allow me to begin by complimenting Tara, not only of the wonderful accommodations she has provided for her talent, but for being able to put this entire show together to begin with. Wrestlers are egomaniacs, so to convince a bunch of them to leave their home promotions to wrestle for charity? That is certainly not an easy thing to do, and I applaud Tara for this. You’re doing great things in the professional wrestling business.
...though, you’re also the reason I couldn’t bring my daughter with me on this trip, but we will save that discussion for another day.”
Centurion lets out a slight laugh in reference to Nellie’s very drunk, very honest tweet regarding Tara Fenix.
“I am honored to be headlining Night One of the Tara Fenix Charity Cruise. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “But Cent, you’re not main eventing Night One.” Yeah, well I absolutely should be! This match is an absolutely show stealer, and I can’t help but thing the appeal of having a “green hair vs blue hair” match was the sole reason for this contest, which features a wrestling legend and a current World Champion, wasn’t picked for closing match. Hey, whatever. It’s not my cruise, and I’m certainly not here to talk down on Lycana’s wrestling abilities, so I guess I just have to get over it.
Still, I am taking part in one of the marquee events of the weekend, and that is thanks in part to my opponent, Ashlynn Cassidy. Now, it would be incredibly easy for me to downplay the accomplishments that Ash has racked up in her short career, but that would be coming from a place of ignorance. I know nothing about Zion Wrestling, and to say their World Championship is meaningless would just be me talking for the sake of talking. She rose to the top of one of the brands in that federation. She is the face of a company. I honestly don’t care if that company is made up of 30 weasels – it exists, it makes money, and she had to beat people in order to get to the top, so hats off to her.
I also know she is in FIGHT NYC, which is filled with top notch talent. Those folks over there work their assess off, and if she can forge a name for herself among the cutthroat members of that roster, then she must have all the talent in the world.
But none of that is actually what impresses me most about Ashlynn Cassidy. What impresses me the most is that she was able to show up at a show in NFW, a company she doesn’t even work for, and get an entire roster to hate her in one night. Now THAT is impressive! That’s heat that folks only ever DREAM of. And it’s pretty amazing to me, too, because they want to make it seem like she committed some mortal sin by invading during a “memorial show”, as if this isn’t professional wrestling and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of foul things that have taken place in this business. If she decided to sign a contract with that company, she’d be their World Champion in two months. That’s how you play the game, folks.
All of that is great. Ashlynn has a nice resume behind her, she has the brightest of futures, and she already has some nuclear heat. Awesome...but she isn’t a legend. There are bumps and bruises you have to go through in order to earn that title, and Ashlynn isn’t there yet.
I don’t know how long you’ve been in the business, Ash. I don’t want to assume you just started wrestling six months ago, but I can guarantee you haven’t been in the business as long as I have. I’m pretty sure your hair was still wet from the womb when I wrestled my first match. Yes, that does make me old. Go ahead and tell everyone that, I’m sure they haven’t heard it before. Part of those twenty years is the education you gather from your time in the ring. Trust me, you never stop learning, even when everyone is ready to check you into a retirement home. There’s always something more to learn.
And I can tell you, without a doubt in my mind, that I have learned more from my losses than I have in any of my wins. The losses are what makes you stronger. They’re what give you clarity, and remind you that you’re human. Ash, you have a lot of learning to do, and I am honored to teach you a few things this coming weekend. Hopefully, when you’re getting to the end of what I am sure will be a Hall of Fame weekend, you will be able to stand in front of all your friends, fans, and former co-workers, and say “there was a lot I learned and a lot I accomplished, but I never would have gotten as far as I did if it wasn’t for the fact that Centurion allowed me to meet my...
FINAL FANTASY!!!
