Kickass Starter: Charity Fund Raiser Match! (Open)

As the red "live" light came on for the cameras, Holly Matheson was still settling into her seat.  She blushed, realizing that it was suddenly go time.  Wide-eyed, she stared straight at the hard-cam.  Despite her sudden nerves, the wrestling rookie looked immaculate: wearing a crisp, new white dress that hugged her curves and hung perfectly off of her body, Holly's hair cascaded lightly around her shoulders.  Her skin was smooth, fair, looking pristine on camera even as her wide eyes stared straight into the hard cam.  She had been doing and re-doing her hair and makeup repeatedly, throughout the day.  Each time, she'd huffed, looked herself over, and said, "That is it.  I'm ready."  All that well-practiced confidence went straight out the window, the second that light came on.

Meanwhile, in the chair next to her, sat her partner.  Gato Blanco looked completely nonplussed.  Seated casually, his black suit and tie popping against a bright red dress shirt.  All of it looking surprisingly classy, with his striking luchador mask.  He nodded to her casually as she took her seat, then turned back to the camera.  On the other side of the stage were two empty chairs.  And behind them, a blank digital board.  Holly had been mentally preparing herself for tonight, but she wasn't ready for what it would actually feel like, as their impromptu first challenge was becoming a real thing. At least it seemed like her partner knew what he was doing, she thought, placing her hands against her knees.

"Good evening, friends and fans," Gato said, "thanks for joining us.  For those that don't know, and that might be more than a couple of you, let me make introductions.  I'm Gato Blanco, third generation luchador and guy from some cheesy music videos you might have seen, if you like music.  And this lovely lady next to me is Holly Matheson, new star wrestler and your next favorite gaijin.  We're two new signees to the AFW's Tension, and we couldn't be happier.  Since coming to Japan, we've gotten an amazingly warm welcome, and we can't wait to start competing in the ring with the very best your country has to offer.  And as a thank you for this welcome, we'd like to make our first match an attempt to pay that warm welcome back."

Holly cleared her throat, then caught herself.  "Ahem, yes.  With the consent of the AFW, and of our gracious opponents, the Akamatsu family, we have opportunity to make this contest a charity drive match.  A match that we feel will benefit a very worthy cause," Holly cleared her throat.  She got more comfortable on camera with each word, but her eyes still seemed anxious.  "All proceeds we raise from this contest will go to benefit Doctors Without Borders.  An international humanitarian effort, Doctors Without Borders funds medical personnel in crisis areas around the globe.  Particularly, they have worked with disaster relief for those affected by tsunamis and earthquakes that have affected the Japanese people, particularly since the 2011 disaster.  With your pledges, we hope to raise money to allow Doctors Without Borders to continue its work here, while also furthering their efforts across the globe."

"Indeed," Blanco said, offering a nod.  "Fortunately, being good-hearted people who truly love their country, the Akamatsu siblings were more than happy to help a worthy cause like this.  That, or possibly they were just really eager to kick the hell out of us.  I don't know, I'm not them, I don't make their decisions."

"A-hem," Holly said, failing to suppress a smirk.  "That's not going to happen, mister.  But they, like us, felt that this kind of cause was one worth putting our bodies on the line for, in competition.  Which maybe we should explain ..."

"Right!" Blanco said, sitting up.  "In this pledge match, we're going to be trying to win, just like any other match.  The difference is, the fans can request anything they might like to see us try to pull off, along the way.  If you pledge 4,000 yen to see me attempt the Tiger Feint Kick, I'll do my best to pull it off.  If you want to see Kyo Akamatsu hit the fabled Burning Hammer during the match, pledge a certain amount to see it and I'm sure he'll try and make it happen.  Want to see ladders come out, in the match?  Pledge enough, and we'll do it.  We won't throw the match, but we'll do everything we can to make sure that whatever pledges we're responsible for, we will make happen."

"That's right," Holly said, sounding a bit more confident.  "We can't promise to fulfill every pledge, but donors don't pay out for pledges that don't happen.  And we're very motivated to raise as much money as we can for this very worthy cause, so we can promise you that every pledge will be seriously considered, and as we will fulfill as many of them as possible."

"Right," Gato said.  "That said, this isn't the indies, people.  We really want to do whatever we can to help a worthy cause, but we need you to come through, as well.  I'm not getting dumped off a ladder for 45 yen and a cookie, so make those pledges count if you want to see something wild.  Operators are ready to take your calls.  So get creative, get a little nuts, and let's try to do some good, here."

"Ooh!  While we're waiting," Holly said, noticing a producer waving at her, "I'm told the Akamatsus are ready to join us!  Please, let's give them a warm welcome!"  She looked to the crowd, nervously.  Still, she and Blanco got to their feat and led an enthusiastic applause, waiting for the local veterans to take the stage.

The moment they were called to stage, Kyo and Makie stepped into the room. Their arrival came as an unexpected surprise to some of the fans and journalists in attendance: as much as Gato and Holly had been name-dropping the Akamatsus, they had never heard anything from the Akamatsus themselves to confirm this matchup. The arrival of Kyo and Makie, however, changed all that, and more than a few fans in the audience burst into cheery, if rather restrained, applause. The two strode up to the stage, Kyo dressed smartly in a light grey buttoned-up shirt and jeans, Makie dressed in a short white blouse and black pants. Graciously taking the mike from Gato, Kyo smiled at the crowd, and waited for the clapping to stop before he spoke.

"Please, if you can, save some of that enthusiam for the match." At this, the crowd chuckled, and Kyo raised his hands a little to gesture for them to quiet down. "In all seriousness, though, Gato Blanco and Miss Matheson here deserve more applause than they've been getting. When they first approached my siblings and me about the match...and I'm sure you've all seen that encounter on Youtube by now..." The audience chuckled again. "...I was a bit skeptical. But they were both very persuasive, and after a while I could tell that they were not only sincere about wanting to start their AFW career with a good, memorable match, but that they really did want to help others, and change things for the better in the process. I still have no idea how skilled they are in the ring, or if they're half as good as they claim..." He paused, and made a frowning sideways glance at Gato and Holly, causing the crowd to chuckle again, "but I know that their hearts are in the right place. This, above all else, tells me that they have the courage and the mettle needed to fight in the AFW."

The crowd burst into applause at Kyo's short speech, with one or two people in the crowd even giving an enthusiastic whistle. Clapping along with them, Makie stepped up in front of the microphone with a grin. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, nice heroic speech, just don't start running for Prime Minister any time soon." As the crowd chuckled, Makie turned to face them. "You guys have heard all of the important stuff already, though. We're doing this because there are still dozens of people who have been left homeless, or in hospital, by the Tohuku quake, and dozens more who had to flee their homes and their jobs when the Fukishima reactor threatened to blow. And the fact that there are still people left like this, four years later, is pretty damn awful!" She gestured to Gato and Holly. "And that's why they're doing this. Kyo and I are going to go into the ring with these two, and we're going to batter, slam, smash, stretch, and clobber each other for your entertainment. And while, obviously, Kyo and I are totally gonna win..." Yet again, the crowd chuckled politely. "...we think it's only fair that you guys do something for us in exhange so far."

She gave a short, dramatic pause, eyeing the crowd carefully before continuing. "So, we're going to open the floor to you guys and girls! What would you like to see happen in this match, and how much would you be willing to put forward to make it happen?"

It didn't take long for the lines to light up, and one of the first callers got through. Sort of.

"Hey yo!" A voice with the same accent as Gato's came out over the speakers, as the first call was broadcast. "I'd like to see Makie Akamatsu take a Stinkface in the corner from-"

The sound of a brief struggle could be heard on the other side, as if the phone was being wrestled away. When it came back, the voice was smoother, feminine, less excited, and just as Latin. "Sorry about that." She coughed. "Carmen Rodriguez, 24/7 Champion, here." The crowd gave a brief round of applause, showing some of the good will Carmen had built since she first came to Tension.

"Hello, Kyo, Makie. Good to see you guys. Holly, it's nice to meet you. And Gato Blanco." A wild tone slipped into her voice as she spoke in Spanish. "

"Now," She went back to her English without missing a beat. "I'll put in 8,000 yen for Kyo to show me how a Japanese Twist is properly done. And Gato..." She paused for a moment, thinking. "We don't see enough luchadore action in the AFW, I think. I'll put 10,000 yen down to see you pull off a move - any move - that has you jumping out of the ring and onto your opponent at ringside. And I'll double it if you manage to hit them both."

Following Carmen's request another caller went through, and a smooth British voice graced itself on the speakers.

"Hello all! Ryan Knight here, with my tag partner John Carnaby!" the crowd was giving a loud roar of approval. Even if the UK Elite had a very divided opinion amongst the entire Tension fanbase, first the 24/7 champ had graced the scene. And now the tag team champs had shown up also, this event had certainly become more interesting now!

"Hey there! Seems like a really good thing you guys are doing, always nice to see the tag team division show their stuff eh boss?" John's voice chimed in, seemingly standing next to Britain's paragon.

"Indeed John, hopefully we will fight you guys one day. But now to the matter at hand. I will give 40'000 yen to see a tag team move, any move to show the prowess and teamwork that is required to do well in the tag division." Ryan said much to the approval of the crowd in attendance, Mr Knight was certainly known at times to be quite the philanthropist.

John then chimed in with "As for me I'll give 20'000 to see one of you guys do an anaconda vice, one of my signature moves that is. Have fun guys and gals, and hope we get to fight you down the line!"

The young couple breathed a visible sigh of relief, as the Akamatsu clan took to the stage. They joined in the applause eagerly, as the AFW veterans took in every bit of adoration they could, through their entrance. Gato leaned back in his seat, offering a tight grin to Holly. Holly nodded in exchange, but still looked rather stressed as they listened to their opponents work the crowd.

As Kyo recounted the events leading up to the match, the pair of them nodded along. They nodded along, as Kyo talked over the set-up for the match. However, when he called into question how dedicated the opposing couple might be, in-ring, they suddenly took notice. When he gave a sideways frown to the wrestling couple, joking about how dedicated they might be to the actual match, the both of them reacted emphatically. Gato Blanco leaned backwards, raising his arms in faux-aggression, letting his lean muscle-tone show how ready he was with every casual flex of his musculature. Holly, however, reacted far worse. The Brit took a quick huff, planting her hands against her knee. Her eyes narrowed, as she glared at the Akamatsus.

When Makie took the mic, little changed. Gato smirked and chuckled, as the young woman promised to beat them down. And, all the while, Holly grew more and more visibly irriated as the vet taunted them. But, before things could go much further, the calls started pouring in. First, a rather strange call coming in, starting a bit cheeky but ending in an all too familiar voice. A rather raucous round of applause started, for the 24/7 Champion.

With the well-known voice coming in over the airwaves, Carmen's demands drawing in the attention of the rest of the crowd. Holly looked at Kyo, when it was demanded that he show how a Japanese Twist could be done. "He can certainly try-" she started, right before being cut off again.

When Carmen demanded that Blanco show off his prowess, he grinned. "I do believe that can happen," he said, leaning forward. "Not even a challenge, Carmen. Come on, now, this was supposed to be a big deal, yeah?"

They were cut off by the next caller. The UK Elite, despite how divided the fan opinion of them could be, drew quite the reaction out of the audience. The match hadn't even started yet, and already they'd had some rather heavy-hitters weighing in. The voices of the fans spiked, as Ryan spoke. Up to now, every donation had been rather generous, but John's wager against seein an Anaconda vice was rather exceptional.

Blanco leaned back, and looked at his fellow competitors. "Yeah, well, at that point, I think we'd be jerks not to at least try for it, right?" The fans cheered for the statement, excited to see things escalating. Holly, meanwhile, shifted back in her seat and glared.

"We still have a long way to go," she said, reminding Blanco and the viewers. "Thank you, fans, for everything youv'e been contributing. But this isn't just open to AFW wrestlers. Anyone watching right now, feel free to get in on this. Please. We need you, the families of Fukushima need you ..." Holly gave a slightly wicked glare, to the Akamatsus. "Anyone that wants to see these two get what's coming to them, needs you. Anything from the very generous 40,000 yen we just got pledged to 4, just let us know. We're waiting to hear from you!"

Kyo blinked, partly in alarm, while next to him Makie turned a deep shade of red as the caller suggested that she take a stinkface. Kyo calmed down, however, when he recognized the other voice on the line as that of Carmen Rodriguez. He quickly guessed that the first voice had belonged to her now-famous brother Armando, who had already beaten Makie once in the ring. Maybe another tag match is in order at some point, he thought to himself with a grin.

"Nice to hear you call, Rodriguez-san," he said, leaving it to the two Puerto Ricans to decide which of them he was addressing. "And here I was thinking you'd forgotten about me. I regret not being able to give you a proper demonstration of the Japanese twist the last time we fought, so I'd be happy to oblige, although..." he glanced at Gato and Holly with a warm grin, "I doubt my worthy opponents will appreciate it very much."

"Speak for yourself," Makie grumbled, still red-faced from Army's earlier suggestion. "Hey Army, be careful what you wish for-- I might just return the favour in our next match!"

At that point, another caller rang. Kyo had hear of the UK Elite, but he had never had the pleasure of meeting either of them until now. "An honour to hear from you, Mr. Knight," he said, matching Ryan's impeccable courtesy with some of his own. "Makie and I are all too ready to meet that request. We'd be happy to show you exactly how skilled and coordinated we are as a team...in this ring, or in any other." He let the words hang in the air, for the Elite to interpret as a challenge if they so wished. One of the more well-known Tension tag teams had just given them a dare, and he wasn't one to back down.

"And as for you, Mr. Carnaby," he went on, "a fine choice of submission hold, and one I know quite well. Again, I don't think either of my opponents will appreciate having it demonstrated on them, but, well, at least it will be for a good cause."