Post by Giovanni on Feb 17, 2022 14:48:10 GMT -5
[ Backstage after Proving Ground 30 ]
THIS IS A GOGH-DAMNED OUTRAGE!
Giovanni’s voice was loud, angry, and animated as half of a catering table went up in the air spilling its delectable assortment of food all across the wall, floor, furniture, and personal assistants nearby.
That woman is out of control, they’re obsessed, and if they think that I’ll let them put their hands on me a second time they will be completely wrong! he yelled. Lexi Gold, if I ever have the displeasure of ever having to stand in the same ring as that woman I will absolutely make a scene! he claimed.
It wasn’t long before Calliope came in, in comparison to Giovanni her calm and grace would make the Dalai Lama look hysterical, but even on her face was one of concern, albeit with the sheet of paper in her hands that concern might be different than the one Giovanni was dealing with… Albeit, if only by context.
I… uh… Someone gave me this card about The Crowning in a few weeks. she spoke, hoping it would distract her idol of artistry for just a short while. Since you were so angry, they asked me if I could bring it to you…
Giovanni would run a hand through his ruffled hair to turn to face Calliope, a beaming smile at his muse’s presence and none of the anger he had so uncharacteristically displayed seconds earlier.
Angry? I don’t think I’ve ever been angry in my entire life, dear muse. he’d answer, Calliope only replying with a strained smile. It must be those dullards in the head office finally realizing that me and my good friend Johnny Levy deserve a shot at the tag titles, to bring some quality to that division devoid of dramatic wit.
Extending his hand to Calliope, he beckoned it to ask for both her and the sheet of paper to sidle over to him so they could both read it together. Although Calliope herself was uncharacteristically reticent in wanting to both sidle up, or give the booking sheet.
Are you sure you want to read it now, Gio? I mean, you could always take a long shower first, maybe go have some dinner somewhere? she stammered, hiding the slip of paper behind her back despite the fact she had already told the other of its existence.
A shower and dinner would sound lovely, but first I do wish to read that paper. So be a dear, and hand it over, so we can start making plans for the rest of the evening, and plan the approach to you becoming the muse to one half of the most artistic tag team in wrestling history. he’d smile some more, but a slight hint of impatience had crept into his features.
Rather than wait on Calliope, Giovanni would close in himself with a playful smile, but with every attempt at getting close Calliope would fidget and move aside and try to avoid the confrontation of Giovanni meeting the card for The Crowning.
Eventually, the playfulness disappeared from Giovanni, and in a fit of impatience yet pure and unbridled panache, Giovanni would make a few feints to catch Calliope off-guard and rifle the booking sheet away from her.
Ok, now that we had that little spot of fun, let’s look at what we got here… unwrapping the sheet and preparing himself to read it.
G-G-Giovanni, I love you and the only thing I want is to be with you! Calliope would blurt out professing her feelings as her nuclear-option of distracting Giovanni. Her cheeks instantly becoming as fiery red as her crimson mane on her head. T-There, I said it. Just don’t read that thing, not now. she’d plead, oblivious to how much of a scene they were both making in the middle of one of the catering areas.
Giovanni would blink once, blink twice, before a big goofy amused grin appeared on the artists visage. Ok, Sure Calliope… he’d say, completely no-selling the meaning and emotion behind his muse’s words. … You really don’t have to go through such silly lengths just to stop me from reading this…”
Throwing away the strip of paper, Calliope let out a deep gasp of relief. Thank Gogh… I mean God… I mean, I totally had you confused for a second, right?! she’d laugh it off, happy yet devastated that Giovanni was yet completely oblivious.
With the danger averted, Calliope finally calmed down herself and needed no second of contemplation to wrap her arm around Giovanni’s, as they’d go and get prepared for a nice night on the town.
At least, the danger would’ve been averted if it had not been for Giovanni’s partner in crime Johnny Levy conveniently stroll in holding his own copy of the booking sheet.
Hey, G. Have you read this shit?! They’re having Sonya and me fight in the battle royal, and they’re forcing you to fight that crazy obsessed bitch Lexi Gold at The Crowning! Levy spoke as Calliope shot him the biggest look of trauma possible.
I have to fight Lexi G… WHAT THE F---
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[ Pittsburgh Precinct #404 ]
As the door opened, Giovanni and Calliope would finally look up with a look of salvation on their face. Through the door walked a young blonde detective whose street casual detective attire made her seem more like one of those models turned crime series actress than an actual detective. All the same, she came in holding a notepad and a cup of coffee.
My apologies for the longer wait time, Mr. Giovanni. We’ve been having a particularly busy day today, but I did my best to tend to you now that my time permits me to.
Placing the notepad on the table, she sat down opposite to Giovanni and Calliope, taking out a well chewed pencil and writing down a few clerical details on the first page. Her prismatic blue eyes flicking up and staring a hole through the backs of both visitors’ skulls
If I heard my colleague correctly, you wish to file a police report. Do I have a surname I could call you by, Giovanni?
Waving his hand casually, Giovanni did his best impression to look unimpressed and uninterested.
No, it’s just Giovanni. An artist like me shouldn’t bother with such overdone concepts like surnames.
Thumbing the bridge of her nose, the first crinkle in her features appeared as she made a few more notes.
…Right… And you are here today because you wish to report a crime?
Putting the cup of ‘coffee’ on the desk, Giovanni would point at it with ostentatious gesticulation.
Yes, firstly, this isn’t coffee, this is committing mass genocide to my delicate palate. Do you not have any decent baristas that know how to make a proper cup of triple caramel espresso?!
The young detective would quirk her eyebrow at the leading topic, before brushing it off with a light shrug...
Sir, we are the police, not a Starbucks. If you don’t like the coffee, you don’t have to drink it.
You’re right, I don’t. But after we finish this conversation I really need to speak to your supervisor and tell him they need to allocate some budget to hiring a decent barista.
The lady detective furrowed her brow a little as she seemed to have little patience for what Giovanni was saying, her eyes played towards the green hues of Calliope who put on her sweetest smile.
I’m sorry, Giovanni doesn’t often get so animated, but he’s been really on edge lately.
…Riiiight… So I will ask again, you mentioned you wish to report a crime?
Before Giovanni could go on a second unrelated tirade, Calliope gave him the tiniest of nudges with the point of her elbow. Enough to snap him out of whatever mood he was in, but not in any way or shape potentially hurt him.
That’s right, I want you to give someone a restraining order. For over a month now I have been stalked by this outrageous maniac that goes by the gang alias of ‘Lexi Gold’, I’m sure your CSI-people can figure out their real identity, but this hoodlum is a danger to me and my beautiful muse Calliope with their deranged and deluded ideas and actions!
Jutting something down, the young female detective would rub her forehead in between pencil strokes as she was the consummate professional and took the report very serious.
Ok, so you’re saying this ‘Lexi Gold’ person, I presume she’s a woman, is stalking you and your… ‘muse’, and are forming a danger to you? Could you describe some of your suspicions as to why she might be dangerous?
Scoffing lightly, Giovanni seemed wounded as to the woman’s line of questioning, the gall that she didn’t automatically believe him on his perfectly sparkling eyes and unfailing honesty.
Like I said, she’s absolutely delusional. I just so happened to walk past her, and she asserted that I tried to assault her, when I never did anything of the sort. Even Calliope can attest to it, she was there to witness that woman’s attempt at seriously hurting me. I was just minding my business, stretching my legs, when my foot accidentally made contact with someone else, and that crazy Lexi Gold woman tried to put all the attention on her, and even took advantage of a wounded person’s defenceless state!
Flipping over a page, the detective took a sip from her coffee and attentively wrote down a summary of all that Giovanni was saying, before darting her eyes back towards him inquisitively.
This someone else, do you have a name of that person? Did they file a police report?
Shrugging, Giovanni rolled his eyes at the question.
Why should I care, I barely knew that woman, I don’t think anybody knows who she is, or would care even if they knew. he’d say, dryly.
And you were stretching, then you made contact?
During his stretching Giovanni accidentally hit her with a superkick, whilst I was… uhm… standing close by witnessing! Calliope added as she carefully omitted her exact involvement.
Lady detective continued to pencil down the facts. A superk—Wait, a what?! the detective asked, unsure as to what she just heard.
A superkick? Well, technically it’s called ‘Starstruck’ because Giovanni is not generic and I know the merit of branding. But yes, I was stretching myself, and I hit this… whoever that loser’s name was… on her chin, and then this Lexi Gold woman took advantage of it all by trying to assault me before climbing the ladder and winning, despite her opponent being unable to fight back!
For the detective the penny would drop as she flashed a frustrated smile. Proceeding to tap the tip of her pencil into the metal table with a few frustrated ticks.
Is this a rib or something? Did my partner set you up for this?
Both Calliope and Giovanni’s mouth would go agape as they scoffed at the audacity of the young woman in front of them
A rib?! Excuse me, my life is being THREATENED here, and the only thing you can talk about is your juvenile prepubescent police humour?! Giovanni would assert.
Getting up from his seat, Giovanni’s ire had been drawn.
Lexi Gold has been terrorizing me and Calliope, and my friends, for over the past month. She has stuck her business into my business more times than I can count, she thinks that I want to fight her when I don’t want to be even remotely associated with someone as talentless and colourless as Lexi Gold. Someone whose name is even a lie because she’s not gold, she’s a lead brick that tries to drag everyone around her into the abyss of artless squalor with her!
As the vein on Giovanni’s forehead grew larger, Calliope tried to sus him into staying calm, but neither the detective nor Giovanni’s most treasured object of inspiration could do anything to bring him back to a composed state.
She is preventing me from achieving my goals with every waking moment she is allowed to walk free, to harass me. I cannot challenge for tag gold because she’s adamant that I and she have some sort of ‘beef’ that has to be dealt with first. I cannot challenge for the Warrior Rising title, because she is preventing me from taking the next step in my artistic crusade by having the gall to breathe the same rarefied air that I breathe. I never lost to her because I have never competed against her, and now… now…
Giovanni would take a deep breath as he welled up a little.
…Now they are forcing me to fight this woman, against my wishes, for some sort of closure. I never wanted anything to do with this woman, yet she has cajoled and connived her way into someone’s ear to make them believe I do… which is libellous slander and downright character assassination, I tell you!
Running a hand through her hair, the blonde detective would raise a hand to stop Giovanni from talking, she’d rub her forehead as the headache she had wished had departed had quickly found its way back home. Her blue eyes looked tired now.
Sir, this is a police precinct, I am a detective, what do you expect me to do against this Lexi Gold woman? Because if I think what you’re talking about, you should probably be yelling up the office to whoever gave you a wrestling contract… the woman spoke, having used her talents of deduction to quickly deduce what occupation Giovanni was in, and that he was an idiot.
Once more Giovanni’s mouth would fall agape in stunned silence, and he’d slam the table in frustration as he stared right at her.
I want you to do your job, detective! Lock that woman up behind bars where she belongs, either in prison or in a zoo. Give me back the breathing space to live my life and allow me to challenge established conventions of art and combat. Because I am not a ‘wrestler’, I don’t have a ‘wrestling contract’, because I’m a Gogh-damned artiste, I am respected by everyone who matters, and I cannot abide some crazed woman whose only defining traits are blonde hair, blue eyes, a gigantic rack, and the most basic of basic fighting abilities to waylay my career in this egregious and outrageous manner!
Taking a pause, he’d scan the physical features of the detective who had cocked and locked her eyebrow straight at Giovanni without a shred of amusement.
Taking the awful and stale coffee off the table, he’d sip it demurely. Respectfully, of course.
Rubbing her temples with both hands, the young detective’s frayed nerves would be no match as the door suddenly swung open.
Hey Mr. G, sorry I’m late I got stuck in traffic. Have you dealt with the whole police report thing yet? Larry Livingstone would walk in, all smile and no gorm.
Slamming the steel table, the blonde detective would jump out of her seat and point straight at the door.
Get the hell out of this precinct before I shoot you both! she’d stare daggers at Larry and Giovanni.
Looking insulted, Giovanni would quickly join Larry as Calliope followed after them. But not before Giovanni had to stick his head back into the interview room for a final comment.
I have never been treated THIS badly in a police precinct before, I will ensure your supervisor will know about this, AND the coffee! he’d exclaim, but quickly ducked away as the half-chewed pencil nearly took an eye out.
Once outside, Giovanni would frustratedly play with a strand of his hair as Larry Livingstone was fidgeting on a phone.
Typical, really. I always tell people, never trust the police, they’re just too busy protecting maniacs like Lexi Gold rather than protecting decent folk like you and Calliope. he’d assert, doing his best to gas up his favourite client not named Sonya Benson.
Also I’ve been trying to talk to Ekaterin about this, but the negotiations have hit something of a snag, something with a tank driving into the headquarters, it’s all very dramatic. But ultimately they’ve not really been forthcoming with cancelling this match you never asked for, but I’ll keep trying to push them to get something out of it. Larry would shrug apologetically.
Giovanni let out a sigh as he did his best to smile, knowing that two of his confidantes were at least trying to help him, rather than the inept police department.
It’s fine, Larry. I know you’re fighting a system that pushes down on the ones that dare to inspire and push the boundaries, people like me and Levy, and Sonya too of course. It’s not your fault, and I appreciate the help you’ve been to me.
But I’ve decided that if Lexi Gold wants this match so badly, that she’s obsessed over this so much, that I’ll give her the match. And I’ll make it the most painful memory she’ll have, because if she thinks I’m just a defenceless little whelp that just got their chin superkicked in, then she’s dead wrong. If she thinks I can constantly be wilfully harassed without any sort of justice or come-uppance, then she’ll find out what happens when she comes face to face with the most artistic wrestler to have ever graced a squared circle.
Putting a hand on Calliope’s shoulder, the smallest of smiles would crawl onto Giovanni’s face as he took solace and confidence from his muse who had never failed him.
I will make Lexi Gold an example, I’ll become the first one that’ll shake that lead weight off my ankles and show Lexi Gold what true art is, what Giovanni can do, and pave the way to taking over Proving Ground and make Project: Honour the safe haven for free spirts and free thinkers, rather than a hive of scum and villainy that are ‘wrestlers’.
Smiling a little, he’d glance back at the police precinct. Mark my words, Lexi Gold, your obsession with me shall become your undoing!
3000 Words |