Breaking the Tension! Episode 7: Domino

Patty O' Malley, interviewer extraordinaire and renowned Tension celebrity, loved her work. She enjoyed being out in the field, bringing the ring to the people and letting them be closer to the life of their favorite wrestlers. It was so easy for things to become impersonal with celebrities, for them to become larger than life and untouchable. But Patty brought them down to earth. She showed the people that the people they adored were  people, too. People with all too real hopes and aspirations. They bled red, just like everyone else...just with them, it was typically because they were hit upside the head with a folding chair or a sledgehammer

Sometimes, she had to get her hair wet and dig her hands into the dirt. For the people. That was why she was in the Tension gym instead of in a proper interviewing atmosphere. That was why she was dressed in a blue leotard and white boots instead of her formal interviewing attire. That was why she was going to do something she'd sworn she'd never do: wrestle a match. Sort of.

Ever since she started Breaking the Tension! Patty had been getting requests to get in the ring. They didn't start out too numerous, and they were just YouTube comments, anyway. She received requests to dress in a thong and do obscene acts with a banana, and she didn't take them seriously, either. But as time went on, the requests were coming from a more and more vocal part of her growing fanbase. She'd thought that holding a poll would squash the issue, expecting people to vote against her getting in the ring and prefer she spend her time asking the tough questions and building a rapport with their favorite wrestlers.

78% voted in favor of her doing a match. Philistines.

But Patty was nothing if not fair, so she struck a compromise. She would do an interview and an short impromptu match with her next guest: Drake Vyrill. Domino.

Ran, Patty's ever-faithful assistant, waited outside the ring, dressing up in the referee outfit they'd bought for the occasion. Patty wasn't quite sure how Ran would manage to referee the match and record at the same time, but she would figure it out. It wasn't like referees did much in the AFW, anyway.

"Patty..." The trepidation in Ran's voice was almost a palpable force. "I understand that we're trying to get the audience behind us, but don't you think this is a little..."

"...awesome?" Patty called out as she ran from one side of the ring to the other, bouncing on the ropes and limbering up.

Ran started to speak, but she wound up wincing as Patty stumbled a bit half through a run, losing her footing and stumbling. Patty was a natural athelete, however, and recovered quickly, continuing on as if nothing happened. Because, really, it didn't. "I was going to say 'dangerous'. I know I've said this before, but it really bares repeating: you're not a wrestler, Patty. Seriously."

She stopped running and leaned over the ropes, looking down at her intrepid protege. They'd been together so long, and she still wasn't getting the vibe. Patience, Patty. Patience.

"You need to have a little more faith, Ran. Believe it or not, I know how to handle myself. I've studied in Tae Kwon Do."

Ran's head shot up for a moment, blinking and thinking. "When...you were...ten years old, right?"

"Details, details." Patty sighed and started shadow boxing, letting her fists whistle through the air at lightning speeds. The week she'd spent training for this had been intense, doubling up her usual workout routine to an entire two hours and going an extra three miles on the stairmaster! Combined with her natural tenacity and her countless hours of watching wresting, she was more than ready. "He's just a Tension male, I can handle him. Smaller girls than me do it all the time."

"I actually don't think that's true, but even if there were, they have something you don't - experience." She sat down and started checking her equipment, making sure she had the right setup. For all of Ran's timid ways, she really was an excellent camerawoman, and she'd stocked up on all the special equipment they would need to cover the action shots.                  

"And I have something they dont - my intelligence and wit!" She threw a wink Ran's way, before firing off a quick roundhouse kick. She couldn't get it all that high yet, but she figured a kick to the knee was as good as one to the chest, in some ways. Made sense. "It's not like we're wrestling a real match, Ran. Relax. Chill. Radiate calm."

Patty gave her the thumbs up as Ran shook her head and went back to work. Her concern was appreciated and duly noted, but Patty knew there was nothing to fear. Unlike in previous encounters, Patty had done a little extra homework on Domino. He was one of the more respected names in Tension. Maybe not the most famous or well-hyped man on the roster, but he had a good reputation as a decent wrestler. No worries this time.

Patty had sent him the invite, made sure he understood what to expect with this. She'd reserved the gym, so they'd have the area all to themselves for the next half hour. She was eager, she was fit, she was able, and now she just needed her 'opponent' to arrive. Then the magic could begin.

Drake received the invitation to be interviewed, and he did his level best to resist the urge to squee. He really did. Honest. It might be something small for some of the people around here, but to him, it's a sign that people are taking interest beyond just his in-ring appearances. It's a good thing. A great thing. Maybe his pushing is starting to pay off!

The invitation goes so far as to say the girl will be wrestling him. That was... different. Unorthodox. But he has to appreciate it. It's unique, and potentially flattering. He can't claim the latter until he does a little research on her.

'Patty O' Malley, Patty O' Malley... here we go.'

Brunette, short, spunky; to conclude - adorable. She's done some interviews before, but it looks like he'll be the first she's ever wrestled. Alright. Flattery is a go. The young model smiles to himself. This'll be fun!
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Domino doesn't make the ladies wait long. The door is opened, and the young man strides in with a bright smile. He'd look casually dressed, if not for the telltale black and white wrestling boots covering his feet. Other than that, he's wearing black sweats, a white t-shirt, and a puffy gray coat. It's cold outside, y'all.

Eyes are immediately drawn to the ring, spotting the girl who's oh-so-obviously going to be his 'opponent' for today. Patty looks good in wrestling gear. Very sporty. He makes his way to the ring apron and looks to the 'referee', Ran. He's not familiar with her. Heck, she could be one of the regular referees, so she only gets a two-fingered-brow-tap-salute before his attention returns to Patty.

"Lookin' right at home there," he calls up to her. "All warmed up? Ready to do this?" He isn't entirely sure how it's going to go, but he has some expectations. For example, he doesn't expect Patty to be particularly versed, and might even be on the fragile side. Besides that, it might be hard to ask questions if she's in too much pain. So he expects to need to pull his punches with her. He can do that. Heck, it could even be more fun that way. It could change a potentially painful encounter with him to just having a good time while conducting an interview.

Drake was punctual. That was a good sign. Patty liked her subjects to be punctual.

Patty had seen plenty of pictures of Drake - since he was a model, they were quite easy to find, and very pleasing, as well - but there wasn't anything quite like seeing him in the flesh. The hunky, slim, sexy looking flesh. He was a fine male specimen. Not as skinny as some of the weakest Tension boys, but not as ridiculously, nauseatingly bulky as the 'roid raging freaks like Kent Quick. A happy medium.

"Hey, there, cowboy." She gave him a flirty wave as she spun around, giving him a full view of her outfit. She looked good, no need to hide it. He seemed to approve, and who could blame him? Patty was a brickhouse. A tiny brickhouse, perhaps, but all the same. "This is Ran, my assistant. She'll be videotaping the interview and refereeing the match."

"While I videotape it. Still not sure how that'll work." Ran sighed, already underestimating her abilities. "Nice meeting you, Domino-san."

Patty swung from side to side, stretching out her abs. Or spine. Or whatever this stretch was supposed to be good for. "We'll be ready to start soon. Any questions before we begin?"

Oh! So the referee-girl is actually her assistant. That merits more than a passive greeting. Domino turns to her and offers a warmer smile. "I'm sure if anyone can figure it out, it's gonna be you. Charmed." Poor girl seemed like she could do with a little reassurance.

Those dark eyes of his return to Patty, watching her spin around. Oh yes. She looks good, and he's definitely looking forward to grappling with her. But she invites questions, and he's pretty sure she won't be offended if he just outright asks. She's an interviewer after all, right? Not a career wrestler?

"Actually, yeah, there is one thing." He steps back from the ring apron to shrug out of his coat and let it drop to the floor. "We're gonna wrestle while you talk to me, right?," he asks. Next up, his hands hook the waistband of his sweats to push them down over his legs and off his boots. These are added to the coat to begin a small pile, exposing his black and white wrestling trunks and bare, toned thighs. "So I was wondering - and I don't mean any offense by this, I swear..." He grabs the collar of his white t-shirt. "...you don't want me going full-force, right?" The shirt is pulled over his head and added to the pile, exposing his sleekly-toned upper-body, from the streamlined muscle of his arms to his flat and defined pectorals, down to his sculpted abdominals. The only thing he wears is a pair of bracers on his wrists, colored to match the rest of his outfit.

"I can if you want, I just figure it might make talking hard."

Ran looked back up with a little blush, almost as if she were suprised that Drake actually graced her with another sentence. Her elation was understandable, if somewhat premature - she was the camerawoman, people weren't supposed to pay her too much attention, so it would be like a shock to her. Fortunately, Patty was there to refocus things before she was hit with the wrong idea.

"No, what I had in mind...was..." Patty's train of thought derailed, flipped about, crashed into the side of a mountain and erupted int a fiery explosion the moment she saw Domino's fit body on display. She had become somewhat used to this sort of thing while dealing with Bryan Daniels, another model/wrestler, but apparently she sitll had quite a ways to go. In all fairness, she didn't have the opportunity to get as physical with Bryan as she did here. That wasn't helping things.

"Ah. Yes. Well. Ahem." She coughed and cleared her throat, fighting back the blush. "I was actually thinking that we would have the interview, then a little match. But you can stay shirtless, that'll play well for the camera."

D'aw, he got a blush! Domino always loves that. It's like an automatic indication of doing something right. A small reward for good behavior. But he has to focus on Patty, the proprietor of this interview scenario. ...Oh, look, she's kind'a blushing, too! He can't help but grin up at her, and maybe roll his shoulders back in a feigned effort to limber up his joints - which just so happens to pull his body more taut and tightened.

"Ohhh. Cool." Of course he can stay shirtless. It's like free advertising for his modeling career.

The teen hops onto the ring apron and slips between the ropes. Without waiting, he strolls up to the brunette in the blue leotard and attempts to loop an arm around her waist and face their 'referee'. With a radiant smile, he calls, "Hey, Ran! Can I get a shot with Patty? Little keepsake for myself? Maybe even get one after the match? Sort've a before-and-after?"

Whether or not the girls oblige him, he'll continue, "I'm ready to start answering whenever you're ready to start askin', beautiful."

Patty expected Drake to be a little...energetic. He was a wrestler, and that wasn't something that lent to a lethargic lifestyle. Her show needed that energy, her audience demanded it. The more upbeat the moment, the better.

She wasn't quite expecting him to hug her and draw her in close to his taut, tight, manly body, though. That was a pleasant surprise. And extremely welcome. "Oh, my..."

Ran came up and took her picture, then switched the camera into recording mood. Patty was ready, but she wasn't sure if the blush was totally gone, yet. She made a mental note to work it out in post.

"Greetings, Tensioners, and welcome to a brand new year!" She flashed the camera with her million dollar smile, wide and welcoming. "Your girl, Patty O' Malley,  here with another fresh episode of Breaking the Tension! Things have been spicing up lately in the Tension halls - we're seeing new faces, titles are changing hand, rivalries are burning hot! But, as we deal with the new, we can't forget about the tried and true, as well. Tension has many talented wrestlers in the old guard , ready to great the incoming talent, and today we're meeting with one of them: Drake Vyrill!"

She gave him a little pat in the back and scooted closer, to make the shot easier for Ran to film. "And don't worry, folks. You're find out why I'm wearing this leotard soon enough." She gave the camera a quick wink, before looking up to Drake. "Welcome to Breaking the Tension! Drake, we're honored to have you on the show. Care to tell us a little bit about the man they call 'Domino'?"

Domino maintains that bright smile through the camera flash and beyond, ready to be filmed. Only when she closes in to his side, his arm shifts from her waist to settle around her shoulders, adopting a casual, chummy pose, while his free hand props to his hip. This obviously isn't the first time he's been on camera, nor the first time it's been rolling film.

When she gives his name, he taps a pair of fingers to his brow and flicks them outwards in mirthful, boyish salute!

The interview kicks off, and Drake turns his shoulders by a quarter to Patty, thus avoiding decreasing his presence to a profile while also sharing the focus with his host. "Well, that's a trick question. There's not a 'little' to say about'em," he replies, affecting a confidently cocky demeanor. "For starters, I got my start in America. I'm what you'd call legacy - my dad's a wrestler back in Los Angeles. But when I got the invitation to come to Japan and pursue a title against some of the best from around the world, I couldn't pass it up!"

Though this is the first interview he's ever done for professional wrestling, he's sure it's handled differently from cutting a promo. It isn't a monologue, it's a dialogue. Let the interviewer ask the questions. If she's worth her salt, she'll dig out the interesting tidbits and keep the ball rolling. And from just what he's observed from her fluid introduction and camera presence, she's going to handle that just fine.

So far, so good. So very, very good.

Drake had good screen presence. Good posture. Good poise. He shined on the camera, and Patty could only imagine how it would translate on the screen...though she would have to be careful and make sure he didn't shine too brightfully. This was her show, after all. Things couldn't be perfectly equal. 60/40, in her favor.

She moved a tittle to the side, making sure Ran got her into the shot a bit better. She looked dynamite in the leotard, and she was going to make sure she got the maximum mileage out of it."That's a rare calling, but a prized one, and it seemed they chose well. In more ways than one." Patty nodded Drake's way. "Wrestlers come and wrestlers go in the AFW, but you've stuck around longer than most. Have you enjoyed your time in the Land of the Rising Sun? What's life like for a strapping Tension bachelor?"

Domino lets her slip more to the side, and he switches which hand props to his hip in favor of whisking the other through those roguish bangs. Model finesse - working a camera without even letting on that you know it's there.

At her 'more ways than one' line, he shoots her a wink with a coy smile. But what comes next is a little surprising to him. He's lasted longer than most? Really? Does she mean that, or is that sensationalism? If it is true, that's an interesting thought.

"Of course I have. It's a beautiful country with a rich culture and charming people," posits the teen. "Now, if we're talking about my time specifically spent with Tension, that's a different story. Everyone's here for one thing. When you get two people who're prepared to fight tooth and nail for glory and put'em in the ring, you've gotta be prepared for the heat."

"To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I came out here to join this group. Wrestling only girls? Don't get me wrong, we have some serious athletes and real competitors, but it's like you said - I'm a bachelor. No one's stabled this stallion! So it can get a little distracting at times." He begins patting his right hand into the left as he continues for emphasis, "But what it comes down to is a question of what matters more; hook-ups or glory? It's gotta be glory. Gotta be the title." His amethyst gaze redirects to the camera and he lifts his index finger, as if staving off the viewers' inevitable question, "I'm not saying nothing can happen! Just that my eyes are on that summit."

Those eyes then shift to Patty with a roguish smile. "Sometimes it's harder to see past those distractions, though, I admit." His closest hand lifts to draw his index finger beneath her chin in an openly flirty way, clearly indicating his host.