Post by James Peterson on Jun 23, 2023 18:27:49 GMT
OFFICIAL FIGHTING SPIRIT OF JUNIOR'S BLOCKS!
JAMES PETERSON: Ladies and Gentleman, introducing Mayumi and Minoru, The Tanahashi Twins.
Mayumi hops up, raises her hands high, and gives a vast arching wave with both hands, as she smiles. The younger of the Tanahashi siblings has opted for a very traditional Japanese summer look, wearing a bright pink Yukata dotted with flowers and flying Yosei. Her older brother was much less conventional, opting for white linen trousers, custom black and leopard print Converse, a Black Raion Bomb t-shirt, and black sunglasses. Minoru saunters up to the podium while Mayumi smiles, waves, and greets a few people with polite bows.
TANAHASHI MINORU: Kon’nichiwa bitches!
Mayumi elbows her brother in the ribs and moves him out of the way.
TANAHASHI MAYUMI: What orokana kyōdai meant was, Kon’nichiwa everybody, we are very excited to be here.
Mayumi folds her arms across her chest and glares at her brother and he nods, which gets a few laughs from some of the gathered reporters.
TANAHASHI MINORU: Let’s get to the first question. You with the glasses and that horrible tie.
Minoru points to a slender middle-aged Japanese man wearing simple navy trousers, a white button-up shirt, and a truly hideous pea-green tie.
YOSHIRO TANO (Puroresu Weekly): My wife gave me this tie. First question is straightforward, is there a team that the two of you are looking forward to facing?
TANAHASHI MINORU: Kazushi & Ikuto Takaiwa. That’s the team we know for sure we’re facing. We could sit here and say we would love to beat this team or that team, but the team we have to beat is Kazushi & Ikuto Takaiwa.
TANAHASHI MAYUMI: We will be paying very close attention to all the other matches though, especially Violent Style and the Shinobu Mystery Team.
Minoru taps his sister on the shoulder and looks somewhat offended.
TANAHASHI MINORU: Hey, what did I say about giving our opponents or potential opponents, team nicknames? That’s my territory.
Mayumi looks at him for a few seconds, then sticks out her tongue at him as the reporters laugh a bit more as Minoru shakes his head.
TANAHASH MINORUI: Next question, uhm… you, the cute one with the glasses and the hair.
A younger Japanese woman stands up, with simple glasses on her face, and hair pulled up, smiling as she politely bows.
YUMI TAKARA (NJFC Online): Kon’nichiwa. Your team is called The Tanahashi Twins, despite the two of you not being actual twins. In fact, there’s a ten-year age difference if I am correct.
TANHASHI MAYUMI: Hai, you are correct. Oru is very very old and can sometimes get forgetful, so I just decided to humor him.
More laughter as Minoru is fuming behind her. Mayumi is smiling and giggling and posing for a few pictures when her brother picks her up by her waist and moves her away from the podium.
TANAHASHI MINORU: Orokana chīsana on'nanoko. Don’t encourage her ridiculous antics people. We went with Tanahashi Twins because it is fun and a little ridiculous. I appreciate the respect and reverence that Japan treats pro wrestling with, but sometimes people forget that it is meant to be fun and vibrant, and entertaining. That is why we are here. Inside the ring, we have talent, speed, technique, and timing. While we might not be twins, and she is an annoying little brat, we never have to worry about communication. Her first word was not Haha or Chichi, it was Oru.
Minoru looks over at his sister and nods as she comes over and he puts his arm around her shoulder.
TANAHASHI MAYUMI: And nobody can call him that but me. He may be Ōkina damī, but he is also Ī onīsan, and that is why I am sure we will win Tag Team Tropolis. Now, probably one more question so we don’t take way too much time, and now I am choosing. Uhm… Oh, Oru, look, it’s Toru! He lived in the same building when we were kids.
Mayumi waves while Minoru gives a simple head nod to a man who looks to be in his early thirties, simply dressed in black trousers and a dark blue button-up shirt.
KIMOTO TORU (Nihon Pro Wrestling): Kon’nichiwa, good to see you both, and welcome home. Speaking of, this tournament is taking place in Tokyo, your hometown. Do you feel any added pressure to perform well in front of your hometown crowd, especially with the events taking place at the historic Budokan?
Mayumi is a bit caught off by the question, but Minoru grins and steps up.
TANAHASHI MINORU: Īe. We always want to perform well, and we always want to win. Both of us have wrestled many matches in Tokyo, we have both wrestled in the Budokan before, and this won’t even be like our team debut in Japan or even Tokyo itself. We definitely want to make our family and friends and trainers proud, and having them in the building will be… inspiring, but we’re not putting any extra pressure on ourselves.
TANAHASHI MAYUMI: I am very excited to wrestle in the Budokan again and in front of our family and our friends, our trainers, and the fantastic wrestling fans of Tokyo, but we would give our all no matter if we were in Tokyo or Hokkaido or Osaka or New York or Chicago or London or Toronto or… well you all get the idea.
Mayumi smiles and giggles a little as the reporters and crowd can’t help but enjoy her infectious attitude.
TANAHASHI MINORU: I honestly have no idea if we’re favorites, if we’re underdogs, or if we’re somewhere in the middle with some folks thinking we could win and some folks saying we don’t have a chance. I’m not going to sit here and guarantee that we’re walking out with those titles. I can guarantee these three things though. You are going to enjoy watching The Tanahashi Twins, I will probably bend a few rules and May May will get upset about that but let it go, and last… If you think you’re beating us, you have a very very tough test and a long night ahead of you.
Minoru picks up the mic like he’s going to drop it, but as soon as he lets it go, Mayumi catches it, smiles, and wives.
TANAHASHI MAYUMI: Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu! Tanahashi tsuinzu wa saikōda!
Mayumi and Minoru both raise their right hand high, their finger pointing to the sky as they pose for the cameras for a bit before heading off the stage.
Enter the Midnight Demon Club. Silas was surprisingly well dressed for the occasion, while Noa was well, not. The two sauntered up to the podium with a swagger that was unmatched by just about anyone in the room. A smirk slid across Silas’ lips as the two stood in front of the podium. The #MDC scanned the room as the hands started to pop up one by one.
SILAS ROMERO: “Listen, this is the part where you all start asking your silly little questions. I know this and I completely understand this, but…”
Silas gave a wag of his finger and Noa chuckled like the rabid alien that she is.
SILAS ROMERO: “That shit just isn’t going to happen.”
NOA SKYE: “WE DO NOT NEED TO ANSWER TO ANY OF YOU!”
Silas recoiled from the screams before shaking it off and continuing on.
SILAS ROMERO: “Y'all messed up real bad when you gave us, especially me, the opportunity to get a live microphone. So, there are some things that we’re going to need to address. Get it? You get it.” Silas cleared his throat “Things haven’t been coming up aces for the Midnight Demon Club recently. We were SCREWED out of our House of Wrestling World Tag Team Championship titles. We were their longest reigning Champions that company ever saw, but apparently we were a cancer to that company. Can you believe that? Us? A cancer? Who could ever look at these two faces and see anything other than SAVIORS.”
Silas tightens his grip on the edge of the podium, while Noa starts to jump with excitement.
SILAS ROMERO: “So, of course that’s why we’re here. Did I answer one of your idiotic questions without you needing to ask it? We’re here to save this division before it even has a chance to be corrupted. Sure. You got plenty of good teams. Hell, I even see some great teams in the field.. But, I only see ONE Midnight Demon Club and NO ONE is on our level. Now, point two goes hand and hand with the fact that we should and will be the odds on favorite to pull out the big, fat DUB in this tournament - WE close out night one. Not the World Over Heaven. Not Team Hatface.. US. However, I do seem a very disturbing amount of people overlooking us. I get it.. I do. When you have a guy like Devlin runnin’ around, he’s going to take up a lot of the bandwidth on people’s attention span… But everyone around us needs to quickly, very quickly put some damn respect on our name.”
NOA SKYE: “I FIND YOUR LACK OF FAITH DISTURBING, ASSHOLES!”
SILAS ROMERO: “Yeah! We have the high ground and you’re all just a bunch of Anakin’s. Wait. Would you all prefer me to say something along the lines of we’re Frieza and you’re Krillin and you’re all about to explode?”
NOA SKYE: “Yeah.. We’re going to blow you up with our minds.”
Noa laughs loudly into the microphone, while Silas simply shakes his head and joins her in her laughter. He was mostly just enjoying the fact Noa didn’t scream-talk at everyone for once.
SILAS ROMERO: “Too wrap all of this shit up, we’re just going to leave you with this - The Midnight Demon Club has always and will always be the Saviors of Tag Team Wrestling. In that ring, we’re better than any family or long-standing tag team and we will be leavin’ Japan with those precious, precious title belts. Why? Why is what you’re asking yourselves, because you’re stupid and you don’t have any listening skills because I already explained that… But, well… The Club always wins when the chips are down.”
NOA SKYE: “... Unless we’re up against forty-seven Ronin that came to steal our belts.”
SILAS ROMERO: “We rectified that egregious action that was committed against us. However, at the end of the day… We shall leave this field wondering what every other team has wondered that has come up against us… SOMETIMES!”
NOA SKYE: “... DEAD IS BETTER!”
SILAS ROMERO: “You’re welcome for us blessing your day and saving this three ring circus from becoming a shit show.”
The two of them smirked, while taunting everyone in attendance, mainly the other teams in the field.
Up next we see the team of Cecily Golding and her partner, the NJFC Global Champion — Brennan Devlin wandering out to the podium. Both of them pull up a chair as Cecily kicks her feet up and begins to check her phone, while Devlin is busy looking at himself in a little hand mirror. He wore an orange jacket with a ‘Devlin-gun’ shirt underneath and bright orange pants, while Cecily wore ‘Team Hatface’ merch and her titular red hat and some shorts, both of them rather casual and chill for what was bound to be a very serious discussion. Cecily was also just chilling with Devlins Global Championship, she seemingly liked it.
Brennan Devlin: “See Cecily, I told you, these microphones suck.”
Cecily Golding: “Oh wow they do suck.”
Brennan tapped the microphone, all annoyed as they both took their seat and prepared to answer some questions.
WRESTLING NEWS NET: “Hello, I’m Merv Shmoogly with Wrestling News Net, I just want to get Brennans thoughts on what happened with Myojin at the previous show, and your ultimate win of the Global Championship.”
Cecily Golding: “He’s letting me hold it.”
Brennan Devlin: “I am. She can hold it. Anyway, Myojin fought valiantly, then, what happened? They lost and… cried immediately about it on Twitter because that’s their one move. Wah wahs and boo-hoos.”
Cecily Golding: “Bet they’re mad I’m holding the belt.”
Brennan Devlin: “Probably. Anyway, I told you all what was going to happen. My thoughts have all been articulated before. I told you, and when did I tell you? A long time ago, and what did I say would happen? Exactly what happened.”
A pause for another question.
BOB CECILS WRESTLING TUBE: “That brings us to your first match in the Tag Team Tropolis, you meet Myojin again but this time in a different situation, as you and Cecily are facing the World Over Heaven, Myojin and Mallory Bennett? What are your thoughts on facing Myojin again, and Cecily, what are your thoughts on this being your debut here in the NJFC joining your longtime friend in the midst of this feud?”
Cecily Golding: “I mean, of course he needed me to come help. Brennan has always needed me to come help. But I’m a very gracious, giving person and he also said I’d get some of his paycheck for coming along too, so, I mean why not? I need stuff.”
Brennan Devlin: “I honestly don’t know how Myojin keeps doing it. You know, setting themselves up for disappointment.”
Cecily Golding: “Ha, he said do it.”
Brennan Devlin: “I did.”
They both high five, then lean back into their seats.
Brennan Devlin: “This right here is my best friend, Cecily Golding is family. Nobody else in this whole thing has a stronger bond than me and this woman. We trained together, we found our way through pro wrestling together in the early years. Cecily and I are holding hands right now in fact.”
Both of them hold their hands up to show they are in fact holding hands just out of sight of the cameras.
Brennan Devlin: “Together, Myojin and Mallory cannot add up to what we have. They can make all the lame Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure references they want but in that ring, I’ll run over them like I’m One Punch Man.
Cecily Golding: “I don’t know what any of that means but I agree.”
Brennan Devlin: “Final questions though, we have calls to make.
FURRY WRESTLING NEWS: “How do you feel about your fans in the furry community?”
Brennan Devlin: “Fuck them.”
Cecily Golding: “Never accidentally go on furry twitter.”
Brennan Devlin: “One more real question.”
GRAPS OBSERVER: “I want to ask with the recent announcement of your Devlin-gun group, who exactly are you thinking of recruiting, and for Cecily, who would you like to see in it?”
Brennan Devlin: “So many.”
Cecily Golding: “Children of the Moon. I like them.”
Brennan Devlin: “Yeah Bexssssss loves me. Julie got glazed by me once.”
Cecily Golding: “Saw her at the club meeting.”
Brennan Devlin: “Hot. People currently involved with NJFC, and this tag team thing that have hit my mind would be… Lyra obviously, I think she has some unrefined characteristics that with some work would get her to that next level. Rowen would be a good addition if she sticks around. Bryan Williams would be an interesting choice given our history but I’d honestly rather fight him. Lots of people who, if interested, could fit. Outside the company? Shit, Natalie Kassidy, Heather Haze, Mariah Kennedy, Alyssa Grace, Aubrey Moresi, Dick Dickson, so many good callouts and we’re going worldwide so who knows who we might get? I have so many friends.”
Cecily Golding: “I’m the best though.”
Brennan Devlin: “You are! Any other questions? No?”
Cecily Golding: “I was only paid for like three.”
Brennan Devlin: “Same. So Hatface bids you all adieu, until you can afford more questions. Buh-bye.”
Cecily Golding: “Bye Japan!”
They both waved and wandered off, the Global Champion and his partner heading off to leave it to the next.
The World Over Heaven’s part of the press conference begins with Mallory Bennett quietly pushing her microphone on the table away from her and towards MYŌJIN’s. She does not glance their way, more focused on pulling a large duffle bag from underneath the conference table. With a single zip, the Patron Saint of Harm’s way begins pulling out various items of choice.
Mallory Bennett: Head of garlic? Check. Phil Collen’s first guitar pick? Check. A Tibetan reliquary? Check. Chalk for drawing an anti-magic circle around this building that I took care of HOURS before this conference began…Forgive me if I ain’t too rosy as I’m on no sleep. Check. A stake made out of meteorite because wood just ain’t doing it on cosmic level vampires? Check.
Mallory Bennett lets out an exhale, nervously glancing back at MYŌ. She clears her throat.
Mallory Bennett: Listen darlin’ I’ll be honest I don’t think any of this would slow down Devlin. I don’t even have anything as an answer to Cecily. That bitch has a hat. How do you compete with that? Looks like The World Over Heaven will have to do this the old fashioned way.
Mal flicks the head of garlic on the table.
MYŌJIN seems completely unamused as they simply sit, elbows on the table and chin in hands. They raise their eyebrows toward Mallory before sitting back.
MYŌJIN: Considering that the only reason Devlin is a champion at all is because of the various women he seems to have by his side. I think Cecily should be what we're really focused on.
Though they then pause.
MYŌJIN: …But you're right, she does have a hat. That will be a problem. Have anything like a Monkey's Paw?
Mallory Bennett: Monkey’s Paw…Monkey’s Paw…Hold on.
Mallory begins rummaging deeper into the duffel bag, continuing to talk through the upcoming match as she does so.
Mallory Bennett: Now make no mistake, I ain’t under the illusion that you can’t take Devlin. You can. Modicum of payback and all that for what should be yours. Shit, it honestly falls on me to deal with the Hat in Team HatFace. Could also be said if we meet Bryan and Owen later down the line since you’ve kinda…Scrubbed Gonsalves like fifty times. Ah-ha!
Mallory doesn’t pull out a gnarled monkey’s paw, but an orangutan’s paw. She frowns and puts it back.
Mallory Bennett: Close but not close enough.
MYŌJIN leans over curiously to peak at the inside of Mallory's bag, then turning back to briefly stare at the orangutan's paw in her hand.
MYŌJIN: Is that real? Don't answer that. Anyways, I won't speak much on Bryan because he's our boss at King's Road and I think we both would prefer to keep our jobs- but Owen? Owen Gonsalves being the one to shit talk us? I've made him tap out so many times it's second nature to me, wrestling Owen is like going on autopilot when you've done it as many times as I have. I think actually us wrestling a broom or just watching morning dew on grass drying would be far more entertaining for everyone involved than seeing Owen Gonsalves do… well, anything, to be honest. He's very bland. Like, could anyone here accurately describe what Owen's personality is? I would like to pay Bryan back for dropping me head first on an apron at NEO though… Oh, right. Other teams. We can't forget the other teams-
MYŌJIN turns to Mallory, halting as their mouth hangs agape as if they suddenly had an epiphany.
MYŌJIN: How many of the tag teams in this tournament actually have team names? …How many of them have actually been a team before this? Do you know?
MYŌJIN turns back to face the camera and points out to a reporter.
MYŌJIN: あなたは知っていますか？(Do you know?)
Off-screen, barely audible Reporter: 私はしません？(I… don't?)
MYŌJIN: Ah… What about the cameraman? なたは知っていますか？(Do you know?)
The camera view simply shakes side to side: no.
The Shining Star frowns and rubs the side of their temple, in deep contemplation.
Mallory Bennett: There are some capable teams here. Midnight Demon Club for example? Romero and Noa done some vicious things and been to the mountain as House of Wrestling’s tag team champions. They’re certainly proven. I know of the Kali Kingpins, hell. There are good teams out and about.
The Saint of Harm pauses.
Mallory Bennett: They just ain’t us. I mean if y’all wanna know the truth of it, we’re an uncrowned tag team. We can go and go and yet something like this—this tournament? This should be our moment. Hell. This will be our moment.
MYŌJIN: Of course, the question is- Why? Why is it suddenly our tournament to win? Well… Why not? The two of us have spent so much time clawing and scratching to get somewhere. We're the team that was never supposed to exist, there is no grand story for why we initially came together. We just decided one day that we should- and right now, I realize it's because we both recognize the hunger, the ambition we share. Our ego is one in the same. This isn't some side quest to check off tag team championships off our resumes, this is to prove and justify why we became one in the same.
Mallory Bennett: There have been a lot of exhausting times in my career, in their career. We ain’t doing this one just to say ‘well y’all we tried’. Not this time around. This time around The World Over Heaven had come to conquer every single tag team that rises up. We came to prove to y’all what we already know: when you put The One of One and The Strongest Around together? There ain’t a force in the world, there ain’t an entity in this life or the next or the other after that to stop us. Check your egos at the door, because there ain’t no room for any but ours.
MYŌJIN: …Ooh, that's good. I wish I said that. Did you just come up with all of that on the fly? But yes, The World Over Heaven is going to win because we said we are. We know we can and we will make sure that we will. Any questions?
Before anyone actually gets the chance to ask questions, MYŌJIN stands and rolls their shoulders with a soft yawn.
MYŌJIN: Hey, Mal, ever been to a Japanese Denny's? Your mind is going to be blown.
Mallory Bennett: Don’t tease me with a good time.
She follows them out.
The press conference was under way as two of the members of the recently announced Devlin-gun would be up to the podium next. Cannon, who was the young boy of Avalon, apparently, and Avalon herself would approach the podium with Cannon pulling out Ava’s seat for her, who would then sit and pat her lap only for Cannon to visibly cringe. Then taking one himself and sitting on it backwards to appeal to a younger demographic.
Reporter #1: There have been rumors of the Yakuza having a blood debt out on the both of you. Can either of you clarify this rumor?
Avalon cleared her throat before her young boy could speak on the matter. Though he did look a touch concerned.
Avalon: Any reporter worth their salt would know Devlin Gun now operates under Yakuza protection while on the streets of this country. Grievances between all parties have long been settled.
Cannon: The whole Yakuza thing is rumors and innuendo, I’m actually a part of the Yakuza too, check back in a few years when they finish my massive back tattoo I’m getting. The Yakuza always have these cool dragons right? Well I’m thinking about a panda with a flower on a rainbow.
He uttered, confusing those asking questions before they moved on to the next one.
Reporter #2: Okay, so, Yakuza aside, what are your thoughts on being members of Devlin-gun, while the namesake of your group is in the very same tag team tournament as you guys in his Team Hatface team?
Cannon: I mean, at the end of the day, more of us just means more chances to win right? That’s just math, right?
Avalon: He's right. A victory for Devlin-gun is a victory as a whole. And before you can ask, because I know one of you will, are we to end up against Brennan and Cecily they will be treated as fairly as every other set of opponents we've faced this far. I mean, who wouldn't want the chance to choke their boss, and be paid for it?
Cannon: Actually lots of people pay Avalon to choke them.
Again, he was right but no one had asked and judging by the look on the muscular woman's face it didn't need to be said.
Reporter #3: If you win the NJFC tag titles will you be doing any of your smush videos in them?
Avalon: … is ..Is that a question or a request?
Reporter #3: No comment.
An awkward, but brief silence fell over the hall before another reporter seized upon the opportunity.
Reporter #1: Again I must ask, are you sure that your blood debt has been paid?
The reporter was dressed as professionally as all his other colleagues, not giving himself away in the least, but as he stood up he ripped open his shirt, revealing a chest full of intricate gang tattoos. A katana sword had been concealed aside his chair, and he unsheathed it expertly. This was no reporter at all!
Reporter #1: Tell Brennan Devlin Chef Morimoto sends his regards!
Rushing the press conference table, the hired assasin came swinging his blade. Cannon would jump up and spin kick the gentleman, before security would grab him up and drag him away. Cannon would regain his composure and sit down.
Reporter #4: Uh, okay to continue?
Everyone nods, Avalon tending to Cannon.
Reporter #4: Out of everyone else in the Tag Team mix, who would you consider a threat besides your Devlin-gun subordinates?
Cannon: Did you not see how I just took out that hitman?! If any of our opponents even try to try something like that they're going to feel the full weight of these cannonballs too!!
Avalon nodded in approval when he looked over at her. She helped fix some of his hair before answering.
Avalon: If there was, we'd never tell you, or them. Why give away the element of surprise? Whether it's us clobbering opponents from behind or Cannon stomping a woman's bones to dust, we are here to do the unthinkable.
Cannon: We are going to conquer Japan and become the most legendary tag team in all the land and the journey starts here, where all of our opponents journeys end.
With that, their part in the press conference ended and Avalon and Cannon would take their leave.
