Summercide Conference: Aerith/Dragana 8/22

[Drago Cesar]

We turn again to the bright and sunny Honolulu, Hawaii. A wave of reporters and other members of the press crowd around the tables at the top of the stage. The tables have two microphones set up next to each other.

 

Host: Folks, I’d like to welcome…

 

Aerith enters from side stage, greeted by same Hulu dancer that Archer pushed off the stage, albeit this time with her ankle wrapped up. She adorns Aerith with a lei around her neck. The #1 contender to the Women’s Championship has herself a seat near one of the microphones.

 

Host: And the OCW Women’s Champion….

 

Dragana arrives from the side, accompanied by Johnny Law. She looks at the Hulu dancer and receives the lei around her neck. Dragana looks around in confusion, wondering what this could mean. Johnny simply leads her to the other microphone and they take their seats.

 

Aerith flashes a smile towards Dragana and motions towards the lei around her own neck before nodding to the Hulu dancer who is adorned with the same traditional offering, hoping it explains what’s happening. There’s no tension in the air, Aerith seems, for the most part, in a good mood. Flight of the Valkyrie suddenly begins playing from somewhere in the room and she panics, reaching into her jean pockets frantically to put her cell phone on silent. A couple of the reporters chuckle and she goes red, leaning over to the microphone.

 

Aerith: Sorry about that, I forgot to turn it off… I guess I’m a bad person to go to the movies with, right?

 

The reporters laugh, keeping the atmosphere light.

 

Aerith: And don’t worry, I’ll phone that person back… Hey, you never know, it might even be my husband telling me he’s finally left the training room.

 

A fake smile is interrupted by a polite cough from the host, who intends to get things underway.

 

Host: Thank you for rectifying the cell phone situation, we had hoped visitors would have read the pamphlet but sometimes that’s just too much to ask.

 

Aerith bows her head in an apology as the host continues.

 

Host: On Saturday the 25th of August both Aerith and Dragana will be competing for the OCW Women’s Championship, for those of you that are unaware, Dragana actually scored a pinfall victory over Aerith in a triple-threat match to become Women’s champion… Weeks later Aerith would defeat three other women in a fatal-four way elimination match up to earn the right to face Dragana right here, in sunny Hawaii. Dragana, do you have any words for your challenger at this time?

 

Dragana leans toward the microphone and clears her throat. She looks sideways for a bit before she looks at the press.

 

Dragana: …

 

The cameras flicker as Dragana drinks from her water bottle. She leans back in her chair and awkwardly stares at the reporters. Johnny leans toward the microphone.

 

Johnny: We know that while Aerith may have taken the pinfall at Savage Lands, we’re aware that she’s still near the top of the women’s division. Summercide will be a chance for her to redeem herself. We’re not going to make that easy, though. Next question please.

 

Host: ...She has nothing to say?

 

Johnny: You know who you’re talking to, right? You’d be expecting as much if you paid any attention…..

 

Johnny laughs as Dragana lets out a tiny smile.

 

Johnny: ...But that’s just too much to ask, right?

 

He looks the host in the eyes, the smile permeating underneath his mask.

 

Host: Right. Aerith, you’ve been hit with a double whammy recently; your “best friend” doesn’t want to have anything to do with you, and you haven’t heard from Jacob Trance in a while. How does this factor into your upcoming championship match?

 

Aerith pinches her nose, before giving an exasperated sigh.

 

Aerith: Elephant in the room already, huh? I'd like to say it doesn't bother me, I'd like to say I'm laser focused… But I'm not. It's there, it's lurking at the back of my mind about how someone can say such horrible things but still thinks they're in the right. I could understand it all if I had taken the knife that Valkyrie rammed into my back out and turned it on her, but I'm not going to do that. I'm not a bitter person and despite what she may believe… I've earned my way here, if she would rather spend her time bitching about me at a comic book convention then that's fine, maybe that and her attitude are why she's not sitting here today.

 

Host: Well…

 

Aerith: I'm not finished. She beat me, yes, she did. That's fine, wins come and go, and like the t-shirt sadly says, friendships are temporary, however, blood pacts are forever. That's what she and I share, so eventually she'll lighten up and realise that her own worst enemy is in her head.

 

Host: And your husband?

 

Aerith fidgets nervously.

 

Aerith: I don't know where he is, what he's doing, he was meant to be on the same flight over here with me. He doesn't return calls, it's funny. Austin Lee is the one that wouldn't show up and now that Jacob isn't here… Here he is… in all of his dick pic sending glory.

 

Aerith sighs.

 

Aerith: Sorry, that wasn't meant to come out. Look. This is a huge match, on a huge show, this is the second biggest show of the OCW calendar and for me to have actually been on both when it looked like I was completely screwed because of she who shall not be named… It's mind blowing. It's an honour and a privilege. Sure, the circumstances aren't great but you know what… I'm still here, I'm still standing and hopefully come the end of Saturday night I will be standing there as the new OCW Women's Champion and if I'm not… Well Dragana will know that I'm no god damned push over.

 

Dragana: …

 

Johnny: Yeah well...Come Summercide, you’re gonna learn that that championship is gonna stay with her. And you better get all that bad stuff out of your head, because if you don’t….You’re gonna get dropped right on that noggin. The Age of Silence will live on and you’re just going to be another competitor that’s gonna get silenced. If you want that championship so so bad….

 

Johnny leans even closer to the microphone and whispers.

 

Johnny: Come and take it.

 

Aerith gets up from her seat, standing over the seated Dragana. The champion nervously looks down at the table, feeling Aerith’s gaze pierce her like a dagger. Aerith taps the championship a few times.

 

Aerith: See you soon.

 

She walks off stage as Dragana is still anxiously looking down at the table.

 

Host: I think that wraps it up for today!

 

Dragana takes a deep breath and gets up from her seat, holding the Women’s Championship over her shoulder. Johnny follows her offstage as the feed fades to black.