Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2022 3:47:53 GMT -8
It's dark and deathly silent at the Fukuhara residence in Denver, Colorado. The Zion Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion, and owner of the house, Haruka rests alone in her king sized bed that's clearly made with two people in mind. There's no television playing in the background. There's no music, no birds chirping, no natural sounds. No ambience whatsoever, Fukuhara's heart beating aside. The lack of ambience is broken as Haruka takes a breath before turning over to her left side. She only blinks as her eyes rest on the side of the bed that the likes of Sapphire Marino, the former Tren Descarrilado, and Cam Isley have slept on before. She obviously wouldn't mind having someone there. But no one's coming. Haruka's burned too many bridges at this point.
Fukuhara grabs her phone and turns on its flashlight before rising from her bed to her feet. All five feet, nine inches of her clearly don't travel heavy as one can barely hear Haruka walk from her bed to the bathroom. The lights blind Fukuhara as she flicks a switch to turn them on. As she gets her vision back, she looks in the mirror and spots herself, groggy as she currently is. Perhaps it's her grogginess, perhaps it's her lack of sleep... hell, perhaps she's off her meds again, but Haruka doesn't see the raven-haired, muscle-bound Ice Empress in the mirror. She sees the slender, brunette Katelin Arnett staring back at her. Obviously, this opens Haruka's eyes wide, because this isn't what she currently looks like.
Katelin Arnett: "You're failing us both."
Fukuhara rubs at her eyes, not believing what she's seeing.
Haruka Fukuhara: "Ex--excuse me?"
Katelin Arnett: "You. Are failing. Both of us. Look at what you've become, Fukuhara. You and I? We are complete and utter opposites."
Haruka Fukuhara: "But--"
Katelin Arnett: "Hush."
Fukuhara's eyes widen again as she's completely taken aback by her reflection's subtle harshness.
Katelin Arnett: "You do not get to speak until I have finished addressing you."
Haruka purses her lips as she lets Katelin continue.
Katelin Arnett: "The woman I see in front of me right now is a broken shell of who she once was. Every facet of what I built, you have shed. Every bridge I built out of respect, you have burned or let rot. And in pursuit of what? An oft-forgotten world championship reign that no one believes you even earned? More run-arounds with management than matches won since you shed my last remains?"
Arnett lets her words sink in.
Katelin Arnett: "You are no champion. You aren't even in a better spot than I was in. All you have at this point... is an expensive corset, three people who barely care for you, and a scorched-earth reputation. What you've become sickens me."
Katelin lightly scoffs as she continues.
Katelin Arnett: "If we're being honest? I shouldn't have become you. I am not Haruka Fukuhara. You can keep that name if you so desperately want it. I am Katelin Arnett. And deep down? You still are, too. I'm the real you that you keep hidden from everyone else. But you won a world title as..."
Arnett waves a few fingers the still silent Fukuhara's way.
Katelin Arnett: "...this. This absolute dreck you present as "the real you" just because you use your birth name instead of your legal name. I changed that name and distanced myself from it to prevent exactly the cycle you have fallen into. The constant disrespect? Continual humiliation? I can't guarantee it wouldn't have happened, but the chances would have been lower of them happening had you stayed true. Had you not kept me hidden from everyone else."
Katelin just chuckles a little, realizing something.
Katelin Arnett: "Yet despite all of that, you want to be me so badly. But all the muscle you put on had to have come from your brain. You can't quite do it, can you?"
This is where Haruka wakes up, sitting up after she does. It was all just a dream. The shaken Fukuhara takes a deep breath before getting up from her bed. The lack of ambience remains, meaning she still grabs her phone and turns on its flashlight as she leaves for the bathroom. Fukuhara turns on the bathroom light, and this time she sees herself in the mirror as the lights illuminate the space. Fukuhara leans over her sink and looks closely at her face, expression as neutral as ever.
Haruka Fukuhara: "...I guess you're right."
Fukuhara grabs her phone and turns on its flashlight before rising from her bed to her feet. All five feet, nine inches of her clearly don't travel heavy as one can barely hear Haruka walk from her bed to the bathroom. The lights blind Fukuhara as she flicks a switch to turn them on. As she gets her vision back, she looks in the mirror and spots herself, groggy as she currently is. Perhaps it's her grogginess, perhaps it's her lack of sleep... hell, perhaps she's off her meds again, but Haruka doesn't see the raven-haired, muscle-bound Ice Empress in the mirror. She sees the slender, brunette Katelin Arnett staring back at her. Obviously, this opens Haruka's eyes wide, because this isn't what she currently looks like.
Katelin Arnett: "You're failing us both."
Fukuhara rubs at her eyes, not believing what she's seeing.
Haruka Fukuhara: "Ex--excuse me?"
Katelin Arnett: "You. Are failing. Both of us. Look at what you've become, Fukuhara. You and I? We are complete and utter opposites."
Haruka Fukuhara: "But--"
Katelin Arnett: "Hush."
Fukuhara's eyes widen again as she's completely taken aback by her reflection's subtle harshness.
Katelin Arnett: "You do not get to speak until I have finished addressing you."
Haruka purses her lips as she lets Katelin continue.
Katelin Arnett: "The woman I see in front of me right now is a broken shell of who she once was. Every facet of what I built, you have shed. Every bridge I built out of respect, you have burned or let rot. And in pursuit of what? An oft-forgotten world championship reign that no one believes you even earned? More run-arounds with management than matches won since you shed my last remains?"
Arnett lets her words sink in.
Katelin Arnett: "You are no champion. You aren't even in a better spot than I was in. All you have at this point... is an expensive corset, three people who barely care for you, and a scorched-earth reputation. What you've become sickens me."
Katelin lightly scoffs as she continues.
Katelin Arnett: "If we're being honest? I shouldn't have become you. I am not Haruka Fukuhara. You can keep that name if you so desperately want it. I am Katelin Arnett. And deep down? You still are, too. I'm the real you that you keep hidden from everyone else. But you won a world title as..."
Arnett waves a few fingers the still silent Fukuhara's way.
Katelin Arnett: "...this. This absolute dreck you present as "the real you" just because you use your birth name instead of your legal name. I changed that name and distanced myself from it to prevent exactly the cycle you have fallen into. The constant disrespect? Continual humiliation? I can't guarantee it wouldn't have happened, but the chances would have been lower of them happening had you stayed true. Had you not kept me hidden from everyone else."
Katelin just chuckles a little, realizing something.
Katelin Arnett: "Yet despite all of that, you want to be me so badly. But all the muscle you put on had to have come from your brain. You can't quite do it, can you?"
This is where Haruka wakes up, sitting up after she does. It was all just a dream. The shaken Fukuhara takes a deep breath before getting up from her bed. The lack of ambience remains, meaning she still grabs her phone and turns on its flashlight as she leaves for the bathroom. Fukuhara turns on the bathroom light, and this time she sees herself in the mirror as the lights illuminate the space. Fukuhara leans over her sink and looks closely at her face, expression as neutral as ever.
Haruka Fukuhara: "...I guess you're right."
