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Post by apexstaff on Jan 3, 2023 16:06:11 GMT -5
PWS: APEX RIOT
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2023 3A ARENA - DUBLIN, IRELAND
Singles Match Nadia Lawson vs. Eddie Lopez Jr. DEADLINE IS SUNDAY, JANUARY 8th, 2023 AT 11:59PM EDT
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Post by Nadia Lawson on Jan 9, 2023 20:28:32 GMT -5
Nadia was sitting in her hotel room, fixing her hair to go out for the day when she decided to text Devon Ryder. She didn't know if he would answer, or if he'd be able to talk right then, but it was nice to have someone to talk to.
FROM: Nadia Lawson Hey, I don't know if you are busy.. but I'm in the area if you'd like to have lunch.
There was a long pause before the reply.
FROM: Devon Ryder Absolutely! I'd love to get out and get some fresh air anyway - in my own head a bit today. Where shall I meet you?
She paused for a moment, thinking about it. There were so many places to choose from, having visited Ottawa before, she really had a great array of choices.
FROM: Nadia Lawson How about we meet up at Fraser?
The reply, this time, was almost instant.
FROM: Devon Ryder Sounds great. I'll see you there!
FROM: Nadia Lawson Sounds great. See you soon Devon.
After confirming that, she made her way down to the front of her hotel and hailed a cab to take her over to Fraser, making sure to get them a reservation on her way over on the drive. she knew it wouldn't be long, so she wanted to make sure they'd have a table by the time he got there. Arriving at Fraser, she walked inside, waiting for him. Her back was to the door, but it was clear who she was. When Devon walked in, it only took him a moment to spot her. Even looking away, she cut a rather... distinctive silhouette. He smiled to himself and made his way towards her table.
"Hey! Sorry about that - traffic was insane."
She heard his voice smiling she stood up to greet him. She leans to hug him.
"It's so good to see you. Yeah it's a bit crazy out there.. but I'm use to traffic. Have a seat.. please.."
She starts to sit back down herself. Devon accepts the hug and then takes a seat himself, scooping up a menu and glancing at the faire.
"Thank you! It's great to see you too; how have you been since we spoke last?"
Nadia smiled and lifted up her own menu, looking at him over it for a few moments before looking down at it.
"Pretty well actually.. I have my first match up this week on Riot.. it's against Eddie Lopez JR. Can't say I've ever heard of him."
Devon frowned softly as his brows knit, lowering the menu enough to look at her.
"Eddie Lopes. Jr, eh? Well, if he's anything like his namesake, you're in for a fight...
She looked at him, a moment of silence before she spoke again.
"That's not always the case though. Not every apple that falls from a tree tastes the same."
He laughed softly and nodded.
"Keen observation, and well said; Eddie Jr. is definitely trying to carve his own path. He's not ASHAMED of his familial relations, but he doesn't want to be DEFINED by them. He's an incredible technical wrestler, though a little green, but he's not willing to rest on his laurels and let his family name make him famous."
"Well that's refreshing.."
She gave a soft laugh, before putting her menu down.
"So what else do you know about him? Talented.. got it.. but so am I."
Devon thought for a moment, folding his menu and setting it down in front of himself.
"Hmmm. Eddie Jr.'s more of a powerhouse than his father - but he's not aerial slouch either. If he feels he can't outmuscle you - and who COULD?"
Devon perked a 'brow as he admired her physique for a moment.
"Then he'll probably switch things up and go for more 'hit-and-run' type offense."
Nadia noticed him checking her out.
"He'll never be able to outmuscle me.. that's not possible."
She gave him a wink and checked him out as well.
"Hit and run.. got it."
Devon nodded, smirking a bit in response to her wink.
"Definitely. That's about all I can give you on his ring work - any interest in personal details? I'm not sure how useful they'd be."
She smiled at him and looked into his eyes.
"Honestly.. enough business.. let's eat.. and talk about ourselves.."
He met her gaze and smiled as well, amazed by how striking her eyes were.
"Now THAT sounds like a great idea."
She gave a small giggle, she hadn't done that in a very long time. Not since the start of her cheerleading career, back before she had been cheated on and betrayed.
"I have the best ideas. So tell me something about you that no one else knows."
Devon frowned softly, pursing his lips in thought.
"Hmm... oooh, I know! When I was very young I visited a friend's house for a birthday party, and I jumped into their pool before I really knew how to swim. The next thing I remember is waking up laying at the poolside with everyone standing around looking down at me and my friend's dad on his knees - he'd given me CPR. I was nearly dead."
Nadia looked at him, interested in his every word. Her face turned to one of concern and tilted her head.
"Oh my goodness. That sounds scary! I'm glad you made it out alive."
Devon nodded, a solemn expression on his face.
"Aye, it was; I wasn't entirely sure what had happened at the time - it actually took me about a day or two to process that I'd been drowning, and he must've leapt in to save me. He explained it to my parents, who were grateful, of course - though Mom thought this was a good opportunity to tell me I should never swim alone ever again because exactly this could happen - and I remained good friends with his son until the family moved away."
Nadia nodded, looking into his eyes. She reached across the table and touched his hand.
"Well it's good that his father was there to save you. I'm sorry that your friend moved away. I have a scary story that happened to me if you'd like to know about it."
The waiter came over interrupting them for a moment to take their orders, once that was done, she looked back over at him. Devon smiled at her and squeezed her hand gently with his.
"I'd love to, if you're willing to share. Since we seem to be opening up about ourselves, after all."
She nodded with a soft little laugh, her hands on his still.
"Well, you know I was a cheerleader before I started wrestling. I was getting tossed up for a flip and when I came down, the didn't catch me too well.. we all went down and I hit my head. I passed out and when I came too, I was in the hospital and my crew was surrounding my bed, like I had died or something. People were crying.."
This begot a frown from the Canadian native, and he patted her hand softly.
"I'm so sorry! That sounds absolutely awful; I can't imagine how terrifying that must've been."
She nodded her head as their food was delivered.
"It was.."
Devon frowned a sympathetic frown, then quickly thanked their waiter.
"Thank you for sharing this with me; it sounds like an intensely personal moment. What happened when you woke up? Did anyone explain it to you?"
"My family came in and were relieved.. told me everything. I was off the squad for a while.. that's when I started to love wrestling more. I decided that it was easy enough to do both. Then the team I cheered for, went in on a wrestling company.. and I joined up. Started training.. left Cheerleading behind for this life and I've never looked back."
He nodded, his attention rapt throughout her story.
"Wow... that's quite a tale! Seems I'm not the only unbreakable one of the two of us. Well, they say that in tragedies, we find a silver lining, and I suppose you'd not be here had that not happened, so I suppose there was SOMETHING positive to take from it, anyway."
She had finished up her food, nodding her head. She didn't want to leave him, but it was getting late.
"So will you come to Riot.. I'm not asking you to come out there.. but just.. be waiting backstage for me?"
Devon smiled at her and nodded, trying not to appear overeager.
"I would love to! In fact, if it's not an imposition... could I walk you home? Or, back to your hotel, I suppose?"
She blushed brightly looking at him.
"It's not an imposition at all.. honestly, I was hoping you would offer."
He allowed his smile to become a grin as he noticed her blushing, standing up from the table - leaving payment and a generous tip behind - then offering her his arm.
"Well, then; I would be delighted to oblige. Shall we?"
She stood looking up at him and slipped her arm through his.
"I would be honored."
They leave the restaurant and step out onto the sidewalk outside.
"So I'm just about six blocks away. It's going to be nice to have the company.. and it's a lovely day out."
Devon flicked his hair out of his face, then gazed up at the sky.
"It IS gorgeous, isn't it? I should be spending more time outside these days - I actually adore Ottawa in the winter, but I hardly ever get out to experience it."
She smiled watching his actions, her gaze focused on him. She nodded and looked up herself.
"It's a very lovely place to be honest. I passed this house earlier.. and every part of me was like.. buy it.. so I'm considering it."
He smiled softly at this, elevating one eyebrow again as he gazed at her.
"Oh yeah? Well, be prepared; the housing market in Canada is APPALLING right now. You might need a roommate to make it work."
She looked over at him, giving a little bit of a giggle.
"Well then I'm screwed. Who would EVER want to be my roommate?"
Devon just smirked back at her, shrugging his shoulders as they walked.
"I haven't a clue. Maybe you should ask somebody you work with..."
"I think if I was to do that.. I'd want to ask someone who knows the area already. A person who would know the ins and outs of this town.. you know.. since I'm from Detroit."
Devon just smirked back at her, shrugging his shoulders as they walked.
"I haven't a clue. Maybe you should ask somebody you work with..."
"I think if I was to do that.. I'd want to ask someone who knows the area already. A person who would know the ins and outs of this town.. you know.. since I'm from Detroit."
Devon nodded, grinning at her.
"Yes, I think that's a great idea! Now, if only we knew someone who met all those criteria..."
She shook her head and laughed.
"Do you want to see it, before you offer to live with me?"
He laughed as well.
"I suppose I probably should, eh?"
"Yes I wouldn't want you agreeing to anything you wouldn't be comfortable in.. and for that.. we would need a car."
She laughed softly.. looking up at him. Now it was Devon's turn to laugh.
"Actually, THAT much I have covered. I like taking public transport as much as possible when it's available, but I do actually own a car - thank my father for that one, I suppose."
"Well then.. I guess that's good to know. We should probably go to your place and get your car. Then we can go see the house."
She looked up at him. Devon nodded, and slid one hand into his right front pocket, fishing around for his wallet.
"I believe I have exactly two subway tokens left - may I escort you there?"
He gave an exaggerated, theatrical bow with a grin. Nadia gave a chuckle and bowed in response, before placing a hand on his cheek and smiling at him.
"I would be honored.. and if needs be.. I can get us some more. Shall we?"
Devon actually blushed a light shade when he felt her hand on his cheek, nodding once again.
"Do let's."
He paused at the entrance to the subway station, motioning for her to precede him.
"Apres-vous, mademoiselle."
She blushed and walked past him, giving him a wink as she did.
"My hero.."
His own blush darkened, but a flash of sorrow flickered across his face for just a moment, as he remembered the way Desiree used to call him "my superhero". He inhaled sharply, then shook it off, smiling at her as he followed her into the subway.
"But of course, mon cherie; it is simply who I am."
She noticed the change in his gaze and stopped just through the gates to the subway, before looking over at him.
"Hey.. did I say something wrong?"
Devon shook his head, flushing a bit in embarrassment at being caught in this moment of vulnerability.
"You didn't. I'm sorry, it's my own issue. Just... still getting over what happened. An unhappy memory."
"Desiree?"
Nadia had been watching the show for a long time, having desired to be a member of the roster. She hated bringing it up.
"I'm sorry.. you don't.. have to talk about it."
Devon nodded, frowning softly.
"Yes. It's... in the past, now, but I'll still think of her from time to time. I don't know if it will ever fully STOP hurting, but... at least it gets easier, y'know?"
She nodded, feeling bad about saying it.
"I'm sorry, I'll try to not.. ever say that again."
He laughed softly and shook his head.
"No, no, it's alright. I'm sure there will come a point when I would LOVE to hear you say it - I DO have a bit of a complex, after all. And besides, I need to move on, and there are worse ways I can think of to do that."
"Still I don't want to do anything to cause you pain.. especially if you are willing to move in and be roommates."
She smiled at him and he smiled right back nodding at her.
"You're right, and I appreciate that. But I also don't want anyone to feel like they have to walk on eggshells around me, like the slightest mention of what I've lost will reduce me to rubble. I'm a grown man, and I am stronger than my pain."
"Yes, but there's a time an place for that. I also need to learn not to flirt so hard."
She chuckled and walked beside him. Devon laughed as well as the pair made their way to his apartment complex, stepping off the subway and out into the street.
"Well, I can't fault you for trying. Not far now!"
"Well I can. You should be healing.. not being flirted with by some new woman."
She laughed a bit looking over at him and Devon laughed in response, perking another eyebrow at her.
"So you ARE flirting with me; good to know I'm not misreading the situation!"
She rolled her eyes playfully and looks at him.
"Is that the wrong signals I'm picking up from you too? I mean you did check me out earlier.. at the restaurant.."
Devon simply grinned, shrugging his shoulders as he fished out the key fob for his EV.
"Very perceptive; I honestly wasn't sure you'd noticed."
"Oh I noticed, I just didn't want to make a big deal of it at the time incase I was just being silly. But the vibe was definitely there."
Devon laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck in a kind of sheepish manner.
"Well, I can't deny, I absolutely appreciate the work you've put into your body. I also enjoy spending time with you. I don't know what, if anything, this means for us long-term, but for now... roommates is good enough for me. Deal?"
Nadia smiled at him and nodded her head.
"That works for me. How about we head over to see that house? So you can have a look at it."
Devon returned the smile - the first in a long while, it seemed - and nodded as well.
"That sounds like a fantastic idea to me."
"Alright, here's the address."
She typed it into a message on her phone and soon the two were off to see the house. They spoke to the seller and talked about the costs and paperwork, so that they could buy it. The deal was struck and they were officially roommates.
Nadia was going to have her first match in PWS, having gotten a little information on her opponent and his family from Devon Ryder, while they had dinner together before they agreed to be roommates at a place in Ottawa. It was strange, but Nadia wanted out of Detroit and Ottawa was a lovely town that she loved spending time in. Now she found herself on a flight to Dublin, Ireland. The culture shock was unreal. She had never been to Dublin, looking to her right, she watch Devon as he slept, having agreed to go with her to Riot in Dublin, Ireland. He wasn't even booked and yet he agreed and she wondered just what that meant. At least for now, they were friends, roommates and co-workers. Nadia closed her eyes, taking the time to relax while they travelled.
Waking up in Ireland, Nadia and Devon left their flight running to pick up their bags, before heading to the hotel and dropping off their suitcases, before grabbing their gear bags and heading to the arena. There they suited up and she made her way to the area to record her promo.
"Greatness isn't created, it's born."
The camera pans up on her, her statuesque frame and perfectly built physic.
"What you see before you is years of hard work and dedication. I didn't come from a legacy. I didn't need someone else's name to get here. So many of you ride on the legacy of others instead of making your own. Here I am.. to change all of that. While I have you to deal with tonight Eddie.. know this.. I am NOT like the other basic bitches around here. I am MORE than a woman.. and more than just some piece of eye candy."
She takes a moment to pause, looking off camera for a moment before continuing.
"Eddie Lopez Jr... tonight, I prove why I am better than you. I'll show you tonight why legacies don't always belong in the industry. I will show you who I am, what I can do. Now I know.. I get it.. this is your debut match, but you can't be that green.. not with a legacy behind you, so I wont sell you short, but I can promise you this. When you step into that ring with me tonight, you are stepping in there with a woman who has nothing left to lose. You however.. could lose your dignity and the reputation of your families name. Are you absolutely sure you are ready for that my dear?"
She shook her head. She knew he wasn't, she knew that he would be just like every other legacy to ever be in any company. Boring, repetitive and just like all the rest. My parent did this.. and my parent did that.. they were x champion of whatever company that they sucked off the management in.
"Just as it is YOUR debut match up.. it's mine too. It's time for me for me to show EVERYONE here just what I am capable of. When our match is over, I can promise you that YOU WILL NEVER FORGET MY NAME. You can bank on it darling. Because if there's one thing I do well.. is I can make it rain money for this company. I will be the name on everyone's lips, when I send the legacy back to his family.. in defeat."
Nadia smirked, looking at the camera, posing softly.
"And you can count on that.. bitch."
With that she shoved the camera away and walked off.
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Post by Eddie Lopez Jr on Jan 9, 2023 23:50:11 GMT -5
“Introduction” (Now that the holidays are over and behind them, Eddie Jr can focus on his upcoming debut in America. He’s been on the mainland for over 3 months now, but with the move and the babies coming, and just…life getting in the way of things, he took a small break from wrestling so he can settle into his new life in a new town with his family. He had his move planned for a while now but it had to way till his contract ended with the company he worked for because he always wanted to be closer to family. We see Brooklyn, EJ’s lifelong friend walk down the steps from the upstairs bedroom area as she was checking on the babies.) Brooklyn: Everyone including the mom is still sleeping and relaxing. Remind me not to have twins? Watching you and your girlfriend take of the kids is a tiring thing to do. (Ej lets out a small chuckle with a shrug of the shoulders. It’s been a few weeks since those babies have been born and he’s loving every minute of it like a proud papa would be. He thinks he’s going to get some quiet time but his sister, Gracie Lopez walks into the house, wet from the pouring rain outside…she gently places the package of 5 diapers on the table by the door.) Gracie: You people send me out in the pouring rain for diapers…. Do you realize how much trouble it was to get these? Mud slides everywhere, blinding rain, people crying because it’s raining, lightning flashing everywhere… I thought I saw Mr. Bones from Mr. Bones pumpkin patch swimming down the streets too…. (Both Brooklyn and Eddie Jr look at her as she drips water from her clothes onto his floor, all he could do was chuckle before taking the packages to the living room) Brooklyn: Is this type of weather normal? Gracie: Not like this. We’ve had bad storms before, but I don’t ever remember it being this bad. But I could complain, but we need it. Not THIS much though….. Brooklyn: I guess it’s something we have to get used to. I mean we’re used to island weather, rains for 5 minutes, the sun comes out rinse, and repeat…. (Gracie doesn’t care that she’s still dripping wet from the rain, she walks through the house and towards the couch before sitting down. She’s only doing this to annoy her brother and it’s working as he’s staring at her with judgemental eyes. Because her wet clothes are touching his new couch and Gracie doesn’t care.) Brooklyn: Anyway how are you feeling after the Armaggdon match? Gracie: I knew this was coming, and I’m kinda nobody brought it up during the holidays, but honestly? I can sit around here and talk about the match all I want but it’s not about that. It’s about my brother, and how he worked hard over the years to get to where he’s at now. (EJ nods his head, he knows it has been a long road and he’s happy to finally get an opportunity with a bigger company with a bigger crowd base, and he’s ready to show what he can do.) Gracie: I suppose you should tell them who you are and stuff because I’m not doing it for you. (Brooklyn lets out a small smile as she said that. She knows it’s her turn to do the talking and it’s a moment she loves. She loves to talk and she loves to make herself known.) Brooklyn: So, allow us to introduce ourselves. First, I’m Brooklyn and I’m going to be doing most of the talking here since Eddie Jr doesn’t speak much English and the little that he does know will get lost in translation, it’s already happened since we moved here. But that’s a different story for a different day, now before we get to the meat and potatoes of all of this, I used to be a wrestler so I don’t it’ll be a smart idea to attack me from behind, because if you do you’ll be thrown on your ass. I also don’t care about others people's opinions either. (Brooklyn shrugs her shoulders slightly. The thing with her is she doesn’t like negative attitudes toward people and she will match it, She doesn’t care. Brooklyn: But that’s all you guys are gonna know for now, I’m not here to express my bio like a dating site, what you see is what you’re gonna get. NOW! This guy here…. (She points towards Eddie Jr.) Brooklyn: He is Eddie Lopez Jr, and I’m sure you people know the last name since it’s famous around these parts, because of his grandfather, his father, and his sister. All of them have held the world championship in their respective careers as well and that’s his goal as well. I know people will compare him because of his last name and whatnot, I mean it’s cool and all. But if you ask me, that’s a stupid and lazy thing to do. (Brooklyn lets out a long sigh as if she’s about to say something that may offend Gracie since she’s sitting next to her.) Brooklyn: Let’s break this down shall we? So we can say why comparing things are stupid. His father, Eddie Sr, is a retired legend in this business and I’m sure we’ve beaten that horse dead for a while by saying stuff like that, and he’s a hall of famer too. Cool… a great achievement I’m sure he loves because he put so much work into this sport. (Brooklyn points towards Gracie.) Brooklyn: Then we have Gracie here, a generational talent for sure, 5-time tag champion, 4-time women’s champion, 1-time world champion…. A woman who busts her ass each and every day in and out of the ring. A Woman who worked her way out of her father's shadow that everyone cast her in since her debut in 2016, how do I know this? I’ve seen it, and I’ve heard horror stories about it. She’s done a pretty good job to make a name for herself while everyone is too blind to see it. But I’m not here to speak for her, she knows what she’s doing, she’s a star and she acts like one, while everyone else pretends not to notice her. (Brooklyn shrugs her shoulders.) Brooklyn: Now, Eddie Jr. Sure he doesn’t have any titles or won any titles while being in the indies but it doesn’t really matter. While Eddie was winding his career down and while Gracie was winning championships, he was slowly making a name for himself. He was slowly rising up the ranks and I was there every step of the way. He was going to find his way to America soon enough but the death of his grandfather sped up the process and it also destroyed him. (Brooklyn shrugs her shoulders a bit.) Brooklyn: I’m not using that as a sob story either, so you can fuck off with your judgment. But anyway, his death sped up the process and he wanted to move to America, and he wanted to prove himself. I told him that I would be there every step of the way when and if he moved. And here I am, days away from his in-ring debut for this place, inching at the anticipation for what’s to come for his career. I’m going to be here every step of the way and watch him grow. (EJ nods his head with a smile on his face. He doesn’t expect to win his first match, but he cares about the first impression he’ll have.) Brooklyn: You see why comparing people is stupid and overplayed? Because there’s nothing to compare him and his family to unless you want to compare last names, which is also stupid. Yeah he may have had the door kicked open for him but he did everything by himself, the training, the travel, the hospital stays, he didn’t want anybody's help. Not his father, mother, sister, or grandfather. I’m sure the other person he’s facing will bring this up and it’s gonna be shredded apart. Everything I’m saying is nothing but the truth and I know people have issues with the truth. (Her attitude starts to change a bit.) Brooklyn: From the outside looking in, I’ve noticed that people are obsessed with winning around here as if it’s the end all be all, and if they don’t win and get their way they stomp out like a misbehaving child and leave. Or we have people on the other end of the spectrum who demand title shots when they don’t deserve them….like the Landersons for example….. (Brooklyn almost felt dirty letting those words slip out of her mouth, the words being Landersons. Ever since she’s been hanging around she’s grown to HATE them.) Brooklyn: The thing you should know about EJ.. he doesn’t give a shit about wins or losses. But he does care about titles though, and he’ll do what it takes to get them but for now, he’s happy to get a spot on this roster with talented people. So if he loses this match, so be it, he’s not going to be upset with it. He’s gonna keep doing what he does. Work his ass off. Gracie: I like everything you’ve said so far, and I couldn’t agree more about the whole comparing stuff, it’s just ridiculous and just a lazy way of doing things… but hey some people aren’t smart enough to come up with their own stuff. (As soon as Brooklyn ends her little speech, the babies start crying upstairs and EJ gets up from his chair and makes his way to them, his girlfriend is up there as well to help. The scene comes to an end with the 2 girls downstairs talking to each other about other stuff.)
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