Mesmer (CTC RP #1)
Jul 25, 2023 19:00:34 GMT -5
Mongo the Destroyer, Dave D-Flipz, and 2 more like this
Post by Raiden Ishimori on Jul 25, 2023 19:00:34 GMT -5
The scene fades into what appears to be some grand arcade located somewhere within the reaches of Sin City that holds all kinds of people from different walks of life from the extravagant to lavish, flamboyant to mute, and a variety of other colors and elements to add to the already colorful and chaotic atmosphere. Panning around, it appears to be a Dave & Buster’s location with various groups wandering around, laughing and drinking while others go by with vast amounts of tickets in hand. Among the crowd by the skeeball machines, is Daigo Arakawa who’s haphazardly rolling his skee balls down the lane and up into the pockets, seemingly hoping for the best with each toss. Beside him, is the masked individual that’s been around with him as of late in recent weeks, though the man is taking a more calculated approach to lining up his shots and trying to aim for as high of a score as he can with each release.
Daigo: “Blah….twelve thousand. Could’ve been better. What about you, Hanzo?”
Hanzo: “Got like…two more including this one. Sitting on seventeen thousand.”
Daigo: “You sink one on a corner pocket and I’ll buy the first three rounds.”
Hanzo: “Challenge accepted.”
Hanzo shifts his stance a bit while Daigo folds his arm over his chest, observing intently as the luchador releases his current throw. Up the ramp, floating for the corner…and off it skips the rim of the pocket and down into the two thousand point section. A slightly amused grin crosses Daigo’s lips while Hanzo simply sighs.
Hanzo: “This one for sure, amigo.”
Daigo: “Sure, sure…”
Taking the last remaining skee ball, Hanzo lines his shot up once again, eyes narrowing as he focuses on his target. A gradual pull back on the arm and release down the lane…the ball catches the inner lip of the pocket!- Only to bounce out and tumble into the one thousand point area with a disgruntled sigh from the luchador.
Hanzo: “Fuck.”
Daigo laughs at the mistakes incurred, patting his companion on the shoulder whilst the luchador sets about gathering the tickets that streamed out of the machines. Moving on from the little game, the two began to wander around the place, looking for anything that might pique their interest. Daigo takes one of his threads of tickets and drapes it around his neck for the time being while the duo continue to walk though Hanzo gradually puts an arm out in front of him, pointing over at what appears to be a Dance Dance Revolution machine.
Hanzo: “When was the last time you ever saw one of those huh?”
Daigo: “Years ago. I’m surprised these things still exist.”
Hanzo: “No kidding. Thought game machines like that would be extinct but guess not.”
Daigo: “Well…you wanna give it a shot? Heard that kind of gaming helps with reflexes.”
Hanzo: “Tch…Brayden tell you that?”
Daigo: “Yes, actually.”
Hanzo blinks in disbelief at the response as Daigo paces his way over to the DDR machine.
Hanzo: “Amigo, I was joking but Christ…”
The luchador follows along as Daigo is already looking over the song selection available, hand flicking the screen up and down to pore over their available options. Hanzo moves to take up one half of the stage, draping his lines of tickets around his neck as well.
Daigo: “Eh…hmm….oh, here’s one I think most would know. Centerfold.”
Hanzo: “I swear I heard that song almost every time mi madre was cleaning around the house. Part of her playlist then and probably still is now.”
Daigo: “Well, let’s get to it, amigo.”
Swiping the game card a few times, the ever iconic “DANCE, DANCE, REVOLUTION!” blares in their ears, making both men recoil at how overbearing the voice is before the song loads up.
Daigo: “You do better than me point wise then I’ll buy the three rounds.”
Hanzo: “Do you have any idea how unwise that is to challenge me to a dance battle? I’ll easily smoke you in this one, amigo.”
Daigo: “Tch…as long as you don’t slip and eat the floor.”
Hanzo adjusts his mask as the loading process finishes, both men taking their positions as the song starts up and what ensues…is pure chaos with noticeable differences between the pair’s strategies: Daigo holds onto the back railing, legs flailing about in an attempt to match each step as best he can all while Hanzo is quite smoothly grooving to the beat, adding in a couple spins to his routine on top of it and even a slight Running Man to meet some of the arrows on beat. By the end of it, both men are panting from the exertion but as the scoreboard shows, Hanzo is the definite winner by a margin of about ten thousand points.
Hanzo: “Hah….I told you bro. Can’t beat me in something like that.”
Daigo just waves his hand about in dismissal of it.
Daigo: “Yeah, yeah, you beat me fair and square on that one. Be down about fifty bucks off of this.”
Hanzo: “Pfft, only fifty? Amigo, this is Sin City we’re partying in. It’s definitely gonna be more than fifty.”
Daigo: “Only if you aren’t cheap.”
Hanzo playfully punches the former junior heavyweight champ’s arm in turn.
Hanzo: “You’re the one paying so I have every reason to go for broke.”
Daigo rolls his eyes as they hop off the stage, both readjusting their ticket scarves as they walk back to the bar area of the establishment. Daigo idly tugs his scarf back and forth across his shoulders while Hanzo links his own hands behind his head.
Hanzo: “To think man…a few more weeks and I’ll be back in action in a wrestling ring since my Infinite Pro days.”
Daigo: “Yeah…was wondering what happened to you when you suddenly dropped from the radar after that one match you had against that C fellow.”
Hanzo: “My shoulder, amigo. It got fucked up more than I thought after the adrenaline wore off. Like…there’s the normal pain and soreness you feel after any standard match, but that kind of pain was like burning to the point it was hard to sleep.”
Daigo: “Dislocation?”
Hanzo: “Felt like it. Ended up recuperating back down in Mexico so I could visit mis parientes since papa was home from one of his usual business trips.”
Daigo: “How are the parents anyhow?”
Hanzo: “Oh they’re doing good. Mama’s still got her little flower shop she runs and papa’s hair is getting greyer with each passing month. Got the hair of a grandfather though with his face, you wouldn’t be able to tell he’s up there in age.”
The two eventually arrive at the bar area and the luchador is quick to gather one of the bartender’s attention, especially given the mask.
Hanzo: “Hey amigo, can I get a margarita going for myself? Make it two.”
Bartender: “And as for you, sir?”
Daigo: “Simple enough Old Fashioned will do.”
The bartender nods in turn, punching the orders in before going off on his way. Hanzo turns to Daigo with what one can assume to be a raised brow beneath the mask.
Hanzo: “Sophisticated, eh? That what happens when you hang around businessmen from this area?”
Daigo: “Acquired taste, yes, but it was mainly through Raiden since he frequented bars more often than I. Spent a lot more time at the bar at The Gambler’s Den than anywhere else truth be told but I think he was experiencing another one of those small crises he has on occasion. Survivor’s guilt and such.”
Hanzo: “Shit….I didn’t know his background was like that.”
Daigo: “It’s a subject him and the girlfriend prefer not to talk about for various reasons, but the obvious one being death is never a fun topic to discuss.”
Hanzo quietly nods along as the bartender returns, sliding the three drinks over to the duo before pacing away to handle a small group at the other end of the bar. Hanzo eagerly takes a few large sips from one of the margaritas with a resounding, satisfied sigh.
Hanzo: “Ahhh….reminds me of home. By the way, amigo, ain’t there a match you got to be prepping for this week?”
Daigo: “The tag match you mean?”
Hanzo: “Si, si. That one you got with the big guy that’s part of the unit you and Raiden are a part of.”
Daigo: “Right…the match against In-Law Stereotypes.”
Hanzo: “Que?”
Daigo shakes his head as he knocks back a few sips of his drink, sighing.
Daigo: “Just a joke of a team that’s actually managed to win the XHF Tag Team belts. Honestly, I would’ve preferred it if Storms and I would’ve gotten the chance to face Off The Wagon once more since our last meeting at Supremacy in that four-on-four match we had in which we absolutely steamrolled them. I’ll give Nelly his little bit of credit since he managed to keep up with us unlike the others but other than that? Heh…everyone ought to know by now that any combination of Harbingers is a force to be reckoned with.”
Chaos Tiger idly swirls the contents of his glass.
Daigo: “Another thing that a lot of people fail to take into account is that what we did and still do in that ring is that we were handing out punishments on a weekly basis. Not bi-weekly, not monthly…weekly. That right there is one of the finest examples of limit cuts I can give in this kind of Network as a whole. Whether it be Wednesday or Thursday, we hustle, we bust our asses, we get the job done. Storms has one of the best singles records to date ever since SCCW was rebranded from MCCW and Raiden and I had one of, if not THE most historical reign in that company’s combined history. Three hundred and seventy-one days, Hanzo. THREE HUNDRED. SEVENTY-ONE. I dare someone to hold the XHF Tag Belts that long, let alone the Double Down Championship for that matter because Lord knows that The Nihilists aren’t holding the belts like we did. Took them three tries to topple us and I don’t expect them to top for long, much like Old Papa and the son he wants to murder half the time with a shotgun every time his daughter gets touched by those slimy noodle fingers of his.”
Hanzo: “...How’d they win the belts then?”
Daigo: “In a match that Mongo green lit as per usual. It’s the Network, amigo. Copycat nearly won the X*Crown and I think that’s all you need to hear to know how buck wild this place is.”
Hanzo: “Can kinda see why you guys stayed regional most of the time.”
Daigo nods along as he takes another few sips while Hanzo keeps working on one of the margaritas.
Daigo: “I don’t even know how they manage to keep such civil behavior between them outside of Marty’s girl there. She’s basically the pin holding those together lest Deacon go and claw Marty to bits…which would probably be doing a lot of people some favors.”
Hanzo: “Except for Disney.”
Daigo: “Who gives a shit. Company makes enough bank as is and they can afford it if Marty winds up hospitalized for a few months. Probably see the biggest smile on Deacon’s face if that were to happen since it would mean not having to team with such a sellout ever since the whole Disney deal. God knows I wouldn’t want something like that as a partner, and truthfully? This is ultimately the downfall for the both of them.”
Hanzo: “What makes you say that?”
Daigo raises a brow at Hanzo as he takes a couple more sips from his glass.
Daigo: “Amigo, for real? Look at Storms and I compared to those two whatever the hell they are in this spotlight. You take those two and it’s like getting two male cats to get along but neither of them wants to deal with the other AT ALL yet they still race together. I would’ve thought a war veteran to be doing something better with his life other than trying to add to his kill count from his soldiering days on the frontlines. Then…you look at The Harbingers. Pure badasses since the day we emerged in J-ROK and dominating every tag scene we’ve ever been in. First Double Down Champions, winners of the 2023 Saints & Sinners Cup, a whole year as champions…who better to BECOME XHF Tag Team Champions than two people of such high and refined caliber?”
Daigo chuckles to himself as he downs the rest of his drink.
Daigo: “Those belts have just been waiting for us to come and claim them and this is another prime opportunity to pick the apple from the tree and make people remember, revere, and fear our existence tenfold. We arrive, we conquer, and if you knock us down, then you’re only delaying the inevitable because we always climb back up the ladder to strike again. No one is getting rid of us, and no one is going to permanently keep us away from the luxury of gold. Besides…Deacon’s overdue for another retirement. He can at least get his son to be of use to him by covering the medical bills once Storms is done breaking his neck while stomp the air out of Marty’s lungs and revel in the look of Ollie’s eyes as she watches the two people she loves most get brutalized on the grandest stage of the Network. Chaos, and Destruction…a pairing that knows no bounds on whenever they go because all we want…is the gold. People will know the name Cut Throat Chaos when Dis’N’Griz….is Done’n’Dusted. We’re the upper echelon that they are not and we’ll make sure that message is heard loud and clear for everyone watching. It’s about time another global title made its way back to Sin City…and I’m excited to be one of the people to do the deed as a debt repaid.”
Hanzo just stares and blinks, shaking his head after a long moment of silence.
Hanzo: “You’re fucking loco, ese.”
Daigo: “It’s one of my more charming aspects. Now drink up. Still got two more rounds to go through here.”
Hanzo doesn’t need to be told twice as he goes about downing the rest of his first margarita before working on the second one. Daigo beckons for the bartender as the man comes back around, already prepping for the next round while the camera fades to black.
Daigo: “Blah….twelve thousand. Could’ve been better. What about you, Hanzo?”
Hanzo: “Got like…two more including this one. Sitting on seventeen thousand.”
Daigo: “You sink one on a corner pocket and I’ll buy the first three rounds.”
Hanzo: “Challenge accepted.”
Hanzo shifts his stance a bit while Daigo folds his arm over his chest, observing intently as the luchador releases his current throw. Up the ramp, floating for the corner…and off it skips the rim of the pocket and down into the two thousand point section. A slightly amused grin crosses Daigo’s lips while Hanzo simply sighs.
Hanzo: “This one for sure, amigo.”
Daigo: “Sure, sure…”
Taking the last remaining skee ball, Hanzo lines his shot up once again, eyes narrowing as he focuses on his target. A gradual pull back on the arm and release down the lane…the ball catches the inner lip of the pocket!- Only to bounce out and tumble into the one thousand point area with a disgruntled sigh from the luchador.
Hanzo: “Fuck.”
Daigo laughs at the mistakes incurred, patting his companion on the shoulder whilst the luchador sets about gathering the tickets that streamed out of the machines. Moving on from the little game, the two began to wander around the place, looking for anything that might pique their interest. Daigo takes one of his threads of tickets and drapes it around his neck for the time being while the duo continue to walk though Hanzo gradually puts an arm out in front of him, pointing over at what appears to be a Dance Dance Revolution machine.
Hanzo: “When was the last time you ever saw one of those huh?”
Daigo: “Years ago. I’m surprised these things still exist.”
Hanzo: “No kidding. Thought game machines like that would be extinct but guess not.”
Daigo: “Well…you wanna give it a shot? Heard that kind of gaming helps with reflexes.”
Hanzo: “Tch…Brayden tell you that?”
Daigo: “Yes, actually.”
Hanzo blinks in disbelief at the response as Daigo paces his way over to the DDR machine.
Hanzo: “Amigo, I was joking but Christ…”
The luchador follows along as Daigo is already looking over the song selection available, hand flicking the screen up and down to pore over their available options. Hanzo moves to take up one half of the stage, draping his lines of tickets around his neck as well.
Daigo: “Eh…hmm….oh, here’s one I think most would know. Centerfold.”
Hanzo: “I swear I heard that song almost every time mi madre was cleaning around the house. Part of her playlist then and probably still is now.”
Daigo: “Well, let’s get to it, amigo.”
Swiping the game card a few times, the ever iconic “DANCE, DANCE, REVOLUTION!” blares in their ears, making both men recoil at how overbearing the voice is before the song loads up.
Daigo: “You do better than me point wise then I’ll buy the three rounds.”
Hanzo: “Do you have any idea how unwise that is to challenge me to a dance battle? I’ll easily smoke you in this one, amigo.”
Daigo: “Tch…as long as you don’t slip and eat the floor.”
Hanzo adjusts his mask as the loading process finishes, both men taking their positions as the song starts up and what ensues…is pure chaos with noticeable differences between the pair’s strategies: Daigo holds onto the back railing, legs flailing about in an attempt to match each step as best he can all while Hanzo is quite smoothly grooving to the beat, adding in a couple spins to his routine on top of it and even a slight Running Man to meet some of the arrows on beat. By the end of it, both men are panting from the exertion but as the scoreboard shows, Hanzo is the definite winner by a margin of about ten thousand points.
Hanzo: “Hah….I told you bro. Can’t beat me in something like that.”
Daigo just waves his hand about in dismissal of it.
Daigo: “Yeah, yeah, you beat me fair and square on that one. Be down about fifty bucks off of this.”
Hanzo: “Pfft, only fifty? Amigo, this is Sin City we’re partying in. It’s definitely gonna be more than fifty.”
Daigo: “Only if you aren’t cheap.”
Hanzo playfully punches the former junior heavyweight champ’s arm in turn.
Hanzo: “You’re the one paying so I have every reason to go for broke.”
Daigo rolls his eyes as they hop off the stage, both readjusting their ticket scarves as they walk back to the bar area of the establishment. Daigo idly tugs his scarf back and forth across his shoulders while Hanzo links his own hands behind his head.
Hanzo: “To think man…a few more weeks and I’ll be back in action in a wrestling ring since my Infinite Pro days.”
Daigo: “Yeah…was wondering what happened to you when you suddenly dropped from the radar after that one match you had against that C fellow.”
Hanzo: “My shoulder, amigo. It got fucked up more than I thought after the adrenaline wore off. Like…there’s the normal pain and soreness you feel after any standard match, but that kind of pain was like burning to the point it was hard to sleep.”
Daigo: “Dislocation?”
Hanzo: “Felt like it. Ended up recuperating back down in Mexico so I could visit mis parientes since papa was home from one of his usual business trips.”
Daigo: “How are the parents anyhow?”
Hanzo: “Oh they’re doing good. Mama’s still got her little flower shop she runs and papa’s hair is getting greyer with each passing month. Got the hair of a grandfather though with his face, you wouldn’t be able to tell he’s up there in age.”
The two eventually arrive at the bar area and the luchador is quick to gather one of the bartender’s attention, especially given the mask.
Hanzo: “Hey amigo, can I get a margarita going for myself? Make it two.”
Bartender: “And as for you, sir?”
Daigo: “Simple enough Old Fashioned will do.”
The bartender nods in turn, punching the orders in before going off on his way. Hanzo turns to Daigo with what one can assume to be a raised brow beneath the mask.
Hanzo: “Sophisticated, eh? That what happens when you hang around businessmen from this area?”
Daigo: “Acquired taste, yes, but it was mainly through Raiden since he frequented bars more often than I. Spent a lot more time at the bar at The Gambler’s Den than anywhere else truth be told but I think he was experiencing another one of those small crises he has on occasion. Survivor’s guilt and such.”
Hanzo: “Shit….I didn’t know his background was like that.”
Daigo: “It’s a subject him and the girlfriend prefer not to talk about for various reasons, but the obvious one being death is never a fun topic to discuss.”
Hanzo quietly nods along as the bartender returns, sliding the three drinks over to the duo before pacing away to handle a small group at the other end of the bar. Hanzo eagerly takes a few large sips from one of the margaritas with a resounding, satisfied sigh.
Hanzo: “Ahhh….reminds me of home. By the way, amigo, ain’t there a match you got to be prepping for this week?”
Daigo: “The tag match you mean?”
Hanzo: “Si, si. That one you got with the big guy that’s part of the unit you and Raiden are a part of.”
Daigo: “Right…the match against In-Law Stereotypes.”
Hanzo: “Que?”
Daigo shakes his head as he knocks back a few sips of his drink, sighing.
Daigo: “Just a joke of a team that’s actually managed to win the XHF Tag Team belts. Honestly, I would’ve preferred it if Storms and I would’ve gotten the chance to face Off The Wagon once more since our last meeting at Supremacy in that four-on-four match we had in which we absolutely steamrolled them. I’ll give Nelly his little bit of credit since he managed to keep up with us unlike the others but other than that? Heh…everyone ought to know by now that any combination of Harbingers is a force to be reckoned with.”
Chaos Tiger idly swirls the contents of his glass.
Daigo: “Another thing that a lot of people fail to take into account is that what we did and still do in that ring is that we were handing out punishments on a weekly basis. Not bi-weekly, not monthly…weekly. That right there is one of the finest examples of limit cuts I can give in this kind of Network as a whole. Whether it be Wednesday or Thursday, we hustle, we bust our asses, we get the job done. Storms has one of the best singles records to date ever since SCCW was rebranded from MCCW and Raiden and I had one of, if not THE most historical reign in that company’s combined history. Three hundred and seventy-one days, Hanzo. THREE HUNDRED. SEVENTY-ONE. I dare someone to hold the XHF Tag Belts that long, let alone the Double Down Championship for that matter because Lord knows that The Nihilists aren’t holding the belts like we did. Took them three tries to topple us and I don’t expect them to top for long, much like Old Papa and the son he wants to murder half the time with a shotgun every time his daughter gets touched by those slimy noodle fingers of his.”
Hanzo: “...How’d they win the belts then?”
Daigo: “In a match that Mongo green lit as per usual. It’s the Network, amigo. Copycat nearly won the X*Crown and I think that’s all you need to hear to know how buck wild this place is.”
Hanzo: “Can kinda see why you guys stayed regional most of the time.”
Daigo nods along as he takes another few sips while Hanzo keeps working on one of the margaritas.
Daigo: “I don’t even know how they manage to keep such civil behavior between them outside of Marty’s girl there. She’s basically the pin holding those together lest Deacon go and claw Marty to bits…which would probably be doing a lot of people some favors.”
Hanzo: “Except for Disney.”
Daigo: “Who gives a shit. Company makes enough bank as is and they can afford it if Marty winds up hospitalized for a few months. Probably see the biggest smile on Deacon’s face if that were to happen since it would mean not having to team with such a sellout ever since the whole Disney deal. God knows I wouldn’t want something like that as a partner, and truthfully? This is ultimately the downfall for the both of them.”
Hanzo: “What makes you say that?”
Daigo raises a brow at Hanzo as he takes a couple more sips from his glass.
Daigo: “Amigo, for real? Look at Storms and I compared to those two whatever the hell they are in this spotlight. You take those two and it’s like getting two male cats to get along but neither of them wants to deal with the other AT ALL yet they still race together. I would’ve thought a war veteran to be doing something better with his life other than trying to add to his kill count from his soldiering days on the frontlines. Then…you look at The Harbingers. Pure badasses since the day we emerged in J-ROK and dominating every tag scene we’ve ever been in. First Double Down Champions, winners of the 2023 Saints & Sinners Cup, a whole year as champions…who better to BECOME XHF Tag Team Champions than two people of such high and refined caliber?”
Daigo chuckles to himself as he downs the rest of his drink.
Daigo: “Those belts have just been waiting for us to come and claim them and this is another prime opportunity to pick the apple from the tree and make people remember, revere, and fear our existence tenfold. We arrive, we conquer, and if you knock us down, then you’re only delaying the inevitable because we always climb back up the ladder to strike again. No one is getting rid of us, and no one is going to permanently keep us away from the luxury of gold. Besides…Deacon’s overdue for another retirement. He can at least get his son to be of use to him by covering the medical bills once Storms is done breaking his neck while stomp the air out of Marty’s lungs and revel in the look of Ollie’s eyes as she watches the two people she loves most get brutalized on the grandest stage of the Network. Chaos, and Destruction…a pairing that knows no bounds on whenever they go because all we want…is the gold. People will know the name Cut Throat Chaos when Dis’N’Griz….is Done’n’Dusted. We’re the upper echelon that they are not and we’ll make sure that message is heard loud and clear for everyone watching. It’s about time another global title made its way back to Sin City…and I’m excited to be one of the people to do the deed as a debt repaid.”
Hanzo just stares and blinks, shaking his head after a long moment of silence.
Hanzo: “You’re fucking loco, ese.”
Daigo: “It’s one of my more charming aspects. Now drink up. Still got two more rounds to go through here.”
Hanzo doesn’t need to be told twice as he goes about downing the rest of his first margarita before working on the second one. Daigo beckons for the bartender as the man comes back around, already prepping for the next round while the camera fades to black.
