Post by Aurora Knight on Aug 12, 2016 3:52:33 GMT -5
Wedding Belles Bridal Shop
New Orleans, LA
A pair of white linen-covered chairs sat on either side of a full-length mirror as a bridal consultant eagerly stood outside the fitting room, watching every rustle of the blue and white silk curtain that concealed the struggling figure inside. On the other side of the mirror, Aurora Knight’s manager Alicia Perry sat with her hands in her lap, nervously looking on.
Alicia: Aurora, you okay in there?
Aurora muttered to herself behind the curtain as the brief glimpse of white peeked out from under the bottom, followed by an uncomfortable silence as both Alicia and the consultant leaned toward the curtain, watching for even the slightest movement. Finally, there was a deep sigh from within the fitting room as she slipped her hand around the edge of the curtain.
Aurora: Okay… here goes.
She pulled the curtain back and stepped out in front of the mirror, an absolute vision in diamond white tulle with a strapless satin bodice that had a glittering overlay. Alicia smiled, her eyes welling up almost as if it was her own daughter standing there in the dress. Aurora still stood there, her eyes clenched shut, as if she was afraid to see what she looked like.
Consultant: It looks amazing on you!
Alicia: It does! You look like a princess!
Aurora slowly opened her eyes, but looked down at the massive yardage of material that made up the skirt of the dress. Her hands ran over the fabric as she looked over each shoulder in turn, trying to see what it looked like in the back. Her eyes turned to Alicia, and the proud, maternal smile plastered on her face, and then finally to the mirror itself.
To everyone there, she looked radiant; the perfect picture of a bride. But as Aurora saw herself in that dress, her shoulders slumped downward as she shook her head.
Aurora: It’s a beautiful dress…
Consultant: But…
Alicia: I knew it. There’s always a “but”. Aurora, you’ve only got four months until the wedding, and you’ve tried on every sample dress that comes in your size. Never mind that this is the fifth store we’ve been to….
Aurora sighed deeply, her eyebrows upturned in an apologetic angle as she looked at her manager.
Aurora: I know, it’s just that… there’s something missing.
Consultant: Maybe we should jack her up?
Aurora turned to the women, eyeing them suspiciously. Her eyebrow arched as Alicia began to laugh.
Aurora: What’s so funny?
The consultant had begun to giggle as well, as Aurora stood there with her hands on her hips, aghast at the pair who seemed to be having fun at her expense.
Alicia: Sorry… I forgot this is your first REAL experience as a bride.
Consultant: I thought you said you were married before?
Aurora: I was, but all of this running around, trying on fifty million different dresses is still new to me.
Consultant: Fifty million?
Alicia: She’s exaggerating… a little. To be honest, I lost count at around 40 or so.
Aurora: Ha-ha.
The sarcastic look on Aurora’s face was the consultant’s clue to get up. She cleared her throat, then walked over toward a rack where a collection of veils had been hanging.
Consultant: Relax. “Jacking up” is just bridal shop lingo for adding a few accessories. You know; to complete the look so that a bride can get a glimpse of what she’ll look like on the big day.
Aurora’s face immediately softened as the realization came over her. The thought occurred to her that perhaps she should just put her trust in the two “experts” before her. They seemed to know what they were doing.
The consultant returned with a white chapel-length veil that boasted the same glittering sheen as the overlay of her bodice, which she fastened to the back of Aurora’s head. The sheer, delicate fabric flowed gently over her shoulders as Alicia got up and walked toward a display featuring some necklaces.
Alicia: Wait a minute… don’t look just yet!
Aurora stood there, her eyes closed yet again as Alicia returned with a necklace that featured several pear-shaped crystals that led down to one even larger crystal. She placed it around Aurora’s neck, then stepped back.
Alicia: Alright… NOW you can look.
Again, Aurora opened her eyes, staring at her reflection in the mirror. For one brief moment, she started to smile at what she saw, but the smile quickly faded. She shook her head, then sat down in one of the chairs with her head in her hands.
Consultant: Not enough bling?
Aurora: That’s not the problem. It’s just that… the more white you pile on me, the more I realize I look like a marshmallow. Maybe I’m just not the white-dress type.
Alicia nodded her head.
Alicia: Hey, nothing wrong with that. I didn’t wear white when I got married. I felt it made me look too washed out.
Aurora: So what color DID you wear?
Alicia: Black.
The consultant looked like her heart had just fallen into her stomach, even as Aurora’s eyes grew wide with excitement as she pulled the veil out of her hair.
Aurora: I’m gonna go back into the fitting room and take this off.
Consultant: Um… I’m afraid we don’t carry black wedding dresses. We don’t really get enough requests for those, so…
Alicia: Surely you have SOMETHING in black, don’t you?
Consultant: We do have one dress, but it’s a bit on the short side…
Alicia: That’s fine. It doesn’t have to be floor-length. The wedding takes place in a theater.
Consultant: …and it’s got polka dots.
Alicia: At this point, it’s worth a shot.
The consultant let out a defeated sigh, knowing Alicia was right.
Consultant: Right this way….
The consultant led Alicia around a rack of more traditional wedding gowns toward a rack that featured one lone black dress, covered with white polka dots. As Alicia inspected the garment, Aurora emerged from the dressing room, back in the black jeans and red tank top she had come in with. As soon as Aurora saw the dress, she smiled.
Alicia: Good news… it’s in your size! All it needs is a few embellishments here and there…
Aurora: And we have a winner! Consider it sold!
Consultant: You’re not even going to try it on?
Aurora leaned toward the consultant, her eyes practically boring a hole through the poor woman. A broad grin crossed her face as she took hold of the dress she had chosen.
Aurora: No offense, but I’ve tried on enough dresses to last me five lifetimes. I’m officially over that part of the whole “bridal experience,” you feel me?
Consultant: Good point. In that case, come this way and I’ll ring you up.
Alicia: Once we’re done here, we can hit up a craft store to pick up a few other things….
Consultant: There’s a Jo-Ann over in Metaire… about 20 minutes away from here.
Aurora: Thanks for the tip… you’ve been a great help to me today!
The consultant rang up the dress, then slipped it into a black garment bag before handing it to Aurora. With a smile, Aurora and Alicia left the store, leaving the consultant shaking her head.
Consultant: Hmph… hate to be the one that makes THAT girl go Bridezilla….
Maison Dupuy Hotel
New Orleans, LA
9:00 pm
Standing in the bedroom of her hotel suite, Aurora shut the double doors of the closet and flopped back first onto a four-post bed, staring at the ceiling with several shopping bags at her feet. She let out an exhausted groan as she rolled over onto her stomach. She buried her face into the comforter and screamed.
She lifted her head up, her face still slightly red from the muffled scream as she pushed herself off of the bed and took a seat in a blue armchair beside the bed. She draped her arms over the armrests as she swung her legs up onto the ottoman, kicking her shoes off one at a time.
Aurora: Weddings are an absolute bitch to plan. Now I know why so many couples just say “fuck it” and go to Vegas instead.
She sneered at the thought, her eyes momentarily rolling into her head.
Aurora: On the other hand, it certainly helps to get the blood pumping… even boiling. Not the most orthodox method of training to kick somebody’s head in, but whatever.
Aurora paused as she sat up, swinging her feet back down onto the floor. Her eyes drifted to the left, then to the right, as she slowly raised a finger up to her lips in a typical “shushing” gesture.
Aurora: Shh… did you hear something? No, I’m serious; just be quiet and listen. Let me know when you hear it.
She paused, a mild smirk on her face as she looked around, turning her head in every direction possible. As each second passed, the smirk on her face grew wider, until it was a full-fledge, ear-to-ear grin.
Aurora: Did you hear it, Keegan? That was the sound of all the fucks I gave about that little speech of yours. It’s the same thing I heard a million times while I was busting my ass in the indies. Guys like you came in and out of there so fast, it was like they were all just passing through a revolving door. Every last one of them talked the same kind of shit you did, and the outcome was always the same. The promoter sent them all packing after he saw that they couldn’t hang. Take the first man that trained me; a mountain of a man by the name of Logan Zanelli. He ran a small promotion out of Palm Springs right about the time I started training. My first opponent was some guy named Jack… to be honest, I can’t even remember his last name. Anyway, Jack’s deal was that he was just released from the psych ward of a local hospital, where he had been treated for schizophrenia. He looked me dead in the eye and told me that the voices were telling him to rip me into unrecognizable pieces and leave me in the desert for the coyotes to devour.
All he did was make me laugh. Just like you’re doing right now, Keegan. If there’s anyone that’s underestimating anyone else, then you’ve got it backwards. You see, your biggest problem is the fact that you’re coming into a match against me after your only in-ring experience as far as NGW is concerned was a battle royale, where all you had to do was send one washed-up fat-ass falling over the top rope. That’s not the case this time, sweetie. This time, you actually have to do more than send me out of the ring; you actually have to find a way to not only take me down, but make sure I STAY down.
She paused, raising her fists to look at her knuckles, an obvious nod to her fiancé’s knuckle tattoos.
Aurora: Nah… I’m not planning on getting a matching set of tats any time soon. That would just be inviting trouble. But I’m sure he’ll appreciate the joke nonetheless.
But I digress.
Aurora drummed her fingers against the soft blue fabric of the armchair, the pads of her fingertips making a gentle, barely audible tapping sound.
Aurora: Sure, on the surface, beating me may sound like a cakewalk to you. After all, I’m just a buck thirty, and you’ve got 95 pounds on me, and you could easily overpower me. But you and I both know that it’s not that simple. When it comes to wrestling, it’s NEVER that simple. That’s okay; you wouldn’t be the first person I put to shame because they took me too lightly. And I’m fairly sure you won’t be the last idiot to make that mistake, either.
Though it makes me wonder… perhaps your idea of crazy is thinking you can take it to one of the top contenders in NGW like I’m just another rookie jobber, fresh out of wrestling school. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn’t get to where I am just because Devlin Scott thinks I look good with a title belt around my waist. Granted, I’m not saying he’d be wrong if he did, because let’s face it. I DO look good as a champion. The thing about it is, I can actually back the look up in the ring. I didn’t just get lucky in my first match because my ONE opponent got clumsy. No… when I had my first match, I stood tall against NINE other wrestlers… only ONE of whom is still around today.
Aurora stood up, walking at a slow, but deliberate pace, much like a lioness stalking her prey. Her facial expression was twisted into a dark, sinister sneer as her eyes took on a glare that would chill the blood of Lucifer himself.
Aurora: But go right ahead, Keegan. Keep that idea in your head that your so-called “A game” is going to be enough to stand against the Angel of Rebellion. That will just make it that much more fun for me to bring you crashing back down to the cold, concrete ground of reality, where you lie in a pool of your own fluids – blood, sweat… feces, I don’t give a fuck – as the world around you spins out of control. You see, I can go from the joke-cracking, smart-mouthed brat so many people see me as, to a reckless hellcat with absolutely ZERO regard for my opponent’s well-being, all at the flip of a switch.
Just two more days, Keegan. Less than 48 hours remain until YOUR luck runs out. When they haul your ass back to the locker room to patch up whatever’s left of you, I hope you remember this face. Because this is the face of the harbinger of your destruction, and I WILL take you down to hell if I have to. And trust me… you WON’T enjoy the ride. However, I know I will….
A low growl rose from her throat as she turned around and walked toward the suite’s living room. Once she was gone, the door leading to the bathroom slowly opened, with Aurora’s fiancé Damon stepping into the bedroom.
Damon: Harley? I didn’t hear you come in. How did…?
He looked around, only to find himself alone in the room. Seeing the bags leaning against the closet door, he walked over to the closet, nudging the door ever so slightly, but enough to rattle it.
Aurora’s Voice: DAMON MARIUS GRAVES, DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!
Damon froze, his face locked in a grimace as he pushed a faint hiss through his teeth. He slowly backed away from the closet, then turned to follow Aurora into the living room, quietly singing to himself.
Damon: ♪Here comes Bridezilla…♪
New Orleans, LA
A pair of white linen-covered chairs sat on either side of a full-length mirror as a bridal consultant eagerly stood outside the fitting room, watching every rustle of the blue and white silk curtain that concealed the struggling figure inside. On the other side of the mirror, Aurora Knight’s manager Alicia Perry sat with her hands in her lap, nervously looking on.
Alicia: Aurora, you okay in there?
Aurora muttered to herself behind the curtain as the brief glimpse of white peeked out from under the bottom, followed by an uncomfortable silence as both Alicia and the consultant leaned toward the curtain, watching for even the slightest movement. Finally, there was a deep sigh from within the fitting room as she slipped her hand around the edge of the curtain.
Aurora: Okay… here goes.
She pulled the curtain back and stepped out in front of the mirror, an absolute vision in diamond white tulle with a strapless satin bodice that had a glittering overlay. Alicia smiled, her eyes welling up almost as if it was her own daughter standing there in the dress. Aurora still stood there, her eyes clenched shut, as if she was afraid to see what she looked like.
Consultant: It looks amazing on you!
Alicia: It does! You look like a princess!
Aurora slowly opened her eyes, but looked down at the massive yardage of material that made up the skirt of the dress. Her hands ran over the fabric as she looked over each shoulder in turn, trying to see what it looked like in the back. Her eyes turned to Alicia, and the proud, maternal smile plastered on her face, and then finally to the mirror itself.
To everyone there, she looked radiant; the perfect picture of a bride. But as Aurora saw herself in that dress, her shoulders slumped downward as she shook her head.
Aurora: It’s a beautiful dress…
Consultant: But…
Alicia: I knew it. There’s always a “but”. Aurora, you’ve only got four months until the wedding, and you’ve tried on every sample dress that comes in your size. Never mind that this is the fifth store we’ve been to….
Aurora sighed deeply, her eyebrows upturned in an apologetic angle as she looked at her manager.
Aurora: I know, it’s just that… there’s something missing.
Consultant: Maybe we should jack her up?
Aurora turned to the women, eyeing them suspiciously. Her eyebrow arched as Alicia began to laugh.
Aurora: What’s so funny?
The consultant had begun to giggle as well, as Aurora stood there with her hands on her hips, aghast at the pair who seemed to be having fun at her expense.
Alicia: Sorry… I forgot this is your first REAL experience as a bride.
Consultant: I thought you said you were married before?
Aurora: I was, but all of this running around, trying on fifty million different dresses is still new to me.
Consultant: Fifty million?
Alicia: She’s exaggerating… a little. To be honest, I lost count at around 40 or so.
Aurora: Ha-ha.
The sarcastic look on Aurora’s face was the consultant’s clue to get up. She cleared her throat, then walked over toward a rack where a collection of veils had been hanging.
Consultant: Relax. “Jacking up” is just bridal shop lingo for adding a few accessories. You know; to complete the look so that a bride can get a glimpse of what she’ll look like on the big day.
Aurora’s face immediately softened as the realization came over her. The thought occurred to her that perhaps she should just put her trust in the two “experts” before her. They seemed to know what they were doing.
The consultant returned with a white chapel-length veil that boasted the same glittering sheen as the overlay of her bodice, which she fastened to the back of Aurora’s head. The sheer, delicate fabric flowed gently over her shoulders as Alicia got up and walked toward a display featuring some necklaces.
Alicia: Wait a minute… don’t look just yet!
Aurora stood there, her eyes closed yet again as Alicia returned with a necklace that featured several pear-shaped crystals that led down to one even larger crystal. She placed it around Aurora’s neck, then stepped back.
Alicia: Alright… NOW you can look.
Again, Aurora opened her eyes, staring at her reflection in the mirror. For one brief moment, she started to smile at what she saw, but the smile quickly faded. She shook her head, then sat down in one of the chairs with her head in her hands.
Consultant: Not enough bling?
Aurora: That’s not the problem. It’s just that… the more white you pile on me, the more I realize I look like a marshmallow. Maybe I’m just not the white-dress type.
Alicia nodded her head.
Alicia: Hey, nothing wrong with that. I didn’t wear white when I got married. I felt it made me look too washed out.
Aurora: So what color DID you wear?
Alicia: Black.
The consultant looked like her heart had just fallen into her stomach, even as Aurora’s eyes grew wide with excitement as she pulled the veil out of her hair.
Aurora: I’m gonna go back into the fitting room and take this off.
Consultant: Um… I’m afraid we don’t carry black wedding dresses. We don’t really get enough requests for those, so…
Alicia: Surely you have SOMETHING in black, don’t you?
Consultant: We do have one dress, but it’s a bit on the short side…
Alicia: That’s fine. It doesn’t have to be floor-length. The wedding takes place in a theater.
Consultant: …and it’s got polka dots.
Alicia: At this point, it’s worth a shot.
The consultant let out a defeated sigh, knowing Alicia was right.
Consultant: Right this way….
The consultant led Alicia around a rack of more traditional wedding gowns toward a rack that featured one lone black dress, covered with white polka dots. As Alicia inspected the garment, Aurora emerged from the dressing room, back in the black jeans and red tank top she had come in with. As soon as Aurora saw the dress, she smiled.
Alicia: Good news… it’s in your size! All it needs is a few embellishments here and there…
Aurora: And we have a winner! Consider it sold!
Consultant: You’re not even going to try it on?
Aurora leaned toward the consultant, her eyes practically boring a hole through the poor woman. A broad grin crossed her face as she took hold of the dress she had chosen.
Aurora: No offense, but I’ve tried on enough dresses to last me five lifetimes. I’m officially over that part of the whole “bridal experience,” you feel me?
Consultant: Good point. In that case, come this way and I’ll ring you up.
Alicia: Once we’re done here, we can hit up a craft store to pick up a few other things….
Consultant: There’s a Jo-Ann over in Metaire… about 20 minutes away from here.
Aurora: Thanks for the tip… you’ve been a great help to me today!
The consultant rang up the dress, then slipped it into a black garment bag before handing it to Aurora. With a smile, Aurora and Alicia left the store, leaving the consultant shaking her head.
Consultant: Hmph… hate to be the one that makes THAT girl go Bridezilla….
Maison Dupuy Hotel
New Orleans, LA
9:00 pm
Standing in the bedroom of her hotel suite, Aurora shut the double doors of the closet and flopped back first onto a four-post bed, staring at the ceiling with several shopping bags at her feet. She let out an exhausted groan as she rolled over onto her stomach. She buried her face into the comforter and screamed.
She lifted her head up, her face still slightly red from the muffled scream as she pushed herself off of the bed and took a seat in a blue armchair beside the bed. She draped her arms over the armrests as she swung her legs up onto the ottoman, kicking her shoes off one at a time.
Aurora: Weddings are an absolute bitch to plan. Now I know why so many couples just say “fuck it” and go to Vegas instead.
She sneered at the thought, her eyes momentarily rolling into her head.
Aurora: On the other hand, it certainly helps to get the blood pumping… even boiling. Not the most orthodox method of training to kick somebody’s head in, but whatever.
Aurora paused as she sat up, swinging her feet back down onto the floor. Her eyes drifted to the left, then to the right, as she slowly raised a finger up to her lips in a typical “shushing” gesture.
Aurora: Shh… did you hear something? No, I’m serious; just be quiet and listen. Let me know when you hear it.
She paused, a mild smirk on her face as she looked around, turning her head in every direction possible. As each second passed, the smirk on her face grew wider, until it was a full-fledge, ear-to-ear grin.
Aurora: Did you hear it, Keegan? That was the sound of all the fucks I gave about that little speech of yours. It’s the same thing I heard a million times while I was busting my ass in the indies. Guys like you came in and out of there so fast, it was like they were all just passing through a revolving door. Every last one of them talked the same kind of shit you did, and the outcome was always the same. The promoter sent them all packing after he saw that they couldn’t hang. Take the first man that trained me; a mountain of a man by the name of Logan Zanelli. He ran a small promotion out of Palm Springs right about the time I started training. My first opponent was some guy named Jack… to be honest, I can’t even remember his last name. Anyway, Jack’s deal was that he was just released from the psych ward of a local hospital, where he had been treated for schizophrenia. He looked me dead in the eye and told me that the voices were telling him to rip me into unrecognizable pieces and leave me in the desert for the coyotes to devour.
All he did was make me laugh. Just like you’re doing right now, Keegan. If there’s anyone that’s underestimating anyone else, then you’ve got it backwards. You see, your biggest problem is the fact that you’re coming into a match against me after your only in-ring experience as far as NGW is concerned was a battle royale, where all you had to do was send one washed-up fat-ass falling over the top rope. That’s not the case this time, sweetie. This time, you actually have to do more than send me out of the ring; you actually have to find a way to not only take me down, but make sure I STAY down.
She paused, raising her fists to look at her knuckles, an obvious nod to her fiancé’s knuckle tattoos.
Aurora: Nah… I’m not planning on getting a matching set of tats any time soon. That would just be inviting trouble. But I’m sure he’ll appreciate the joke nonetheless.
But I digress.
Aurora drummed her fingers against the soft blue fabric of the armchair, the pads of her fingertips making a gentle, barely audible tapping sound.
Aurora: Sure, on the surface, beating me may sound like a cakewalk to you. After all, I’m just a buck thirty, and you’ve got 95 pounds on me, and you could easily overpower me. But you and I both know that it’s not that simple. When it comes to wrestling, it’s NEVER that simple. That’s okay; you wouldn’t be the first person I put to shame because they took me too lightly. And I’m fairly sure you won’t be the last idiot to make that mistake, either.
Though it makes me wonder… perhaps your idea of crazy is thinking you can take it to one of the top contenders in NGW like I’m just another rookie jobber, fresh out of wrestling school. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn’t get to where I am just because Devlin Scott thinks I look good with a title belt around my waist. Granted, I’m not saying he’d be wrong if he did, because let’s face it. I DO look good as a champion. The thing about it is, I can actually back the look up in the ring. I didn’t just get lucky in my first match because my ONE opponent got clumsy. No… when I had my first match, I stood tall against NINE other wrestlers… only ONE of whom is still around today.
Aurora stood up, walking at a slow, but deliberate pace, much like a lioness stalking her prey. Her facial expression was twisted into a dark, sinister sneer as her eyes took on a glare that would chill the blood of Lucifer himself.
Aurora: But go right ahead, Keegan. Keep that idea in your head that your so-called “A game” is going to be enough to stand against the Angel of Rebellion. That will just make it that much more fun for me to bring you crashing back down to the cold, concrete ground of reality, where you lie in a pool of your own fluids – blood, sweat… feces, I don’t give a fuck – as the world around you spins out of control. You see, I can go from the joke-cracking, smart-mouthed brat so many people see me as, to a reckless hellcat with absolutely ZERO regard for my opponent’s well-being, all at the flip of a switch.
Just two more days, Keegan. Less than 48 hours remain until YOUR luck runs out. When they haul your ass back to the locker room to patch up whatever’s left of you, I hope you remember this face. Because this is the face of the harbinger of your destruction, and I WILL take you down to hell if I have to. And trust me… you WON’T enjoy the ride. However, I know I will….
A low growl rose from her throat as she turned around and walked toward the suite’s living room. Once she was gone, the door leading to the bathroom slowly opened, with Aurora’s fiancé Damon stepping into the bedroom.
Damon: Harley? I didn’t hear you come in. How did…?
He looked around, only to find himself alone in the room. Seeing the bags leaning against the closet door, he walked over to the closet, nudging the door ever so slightly, but enough to rattle it.
Aurora’s Voice: DAMON MARIUS GRAVES, DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!
Damon froze, his face locked in a grimace as he pushed a faint hiss through his teeth. He slowly backed away from the closet, then turned to follow Aurora into the living room, quietly singing to himself.
Damon: ♪Here comes Bridezilla…♪