Nagasaki, Japan...
With a population of over four hundred and forty six thousand people, Nagasaki is not only the capital, but also the largest city in the Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. A city that is steeped in rich history, from a Medieval beginning as a modest fishing village, to the tragic bombing suffered during World War II, Nagasaki has climbed from humble beginnings and endured hardships and tragedy until it has become the beautiful place that the country of Japan holds it so esteemed for. Now rich in culture with temples and shrines, museums and the like, and steeped in beauty such as Mount Insasa and its "Ten Million Dollar Night View," Nagasaki has elevated itself further in their view to the world around it as it has added yet another distinction to its international resume;
Nagasaki is now playing host to Sin City Wrestling during its "Riot In the Rising Sun" tour!
Yes, SCW excited the world over, from their fans to their own Superstars and Bombshells when they made their first world-wide tour of 2016 public. The atmosphere of professional wrestling in Japan is like no other. In Japan, the men and women of the ring are looked upon with awe and respect. The sport itself is seen as an art form, and those that perform within it are treated like rock stars with a level of respect due to them felt and experienced nowhere else on earth. In America, Canada and Europe, the fans stand and scream in adulation while their favorites battle it out, whereas in Japan it is far more standard for the crowd to be (mostly) quiet while they sit and watch, studying the moves and performances of each and every combatant, whether they be faces or heels, men or woman.
Nagasaki Airport...
The All Nippon Airways jet touched down only minutes ago, but already the fresh faced crowd of Japanese fans were crowded before the security check point which led to the airline terminals. Knowing all too well from rumors, gossip and news reports that many of the professional athletes from Sin City Wrestling were on this flight, the crowd pressed in, anxiously waiting for a glimpse of their favorite Superstars or Bombshells to make their initial appearances in this their hometown. And from the first moment their eyes were laid upon the first star to descend the escalators into the baggage claim, the vast differences between these fans and others were displayed for all eyes to see.
Unlike many other fans in nations around the world, these fans did not shout and cheer, scream and demand time with the stars. No, the Japanese fans were by far more subdued as the first of the SCW stars appeared in the area to retrieve their luggage. They smiled and called in polite voices, although there were some younger voices whose excitement got the better of them to bring their favorites's attention toward them. Some of the men and women of SCW went on their way, eager to get their belongings and head straight for their hotel accommodations, or in the cases of others, their publicity shoots and news appearances. While others cast their gazes to the hordes of fans as cameras flashed and pointed at them, winked, and even gave them a 'thumbs up' which brought smiles to the younger portion of the crowd. The fans did not press, as they understood that many of these men and women came from clear across the world, which put them in a terrible condition of time difference coupled with jet lag, given there was a sixteen hour time difference on average between Japan and the United States.
Not every wrestler and staff member came on this flight in particular. Some had arrived earlier, mostly the higher ups, and others would be arriving tomorrow at the latest. One such group that had arrived on this flight was the successful albeit controversial stable known as the Seven Deadly Sins, particularly Synn himself, as well as the current number one challenger to the World Heavyweight Championship, his son Despayre, and the reigning Internet Champion aka Rage. Even some newspaper reporters and television news camera crews were on hand, capturing the arrival of the heralded stars of SCW, as they made ready for this the first stop in their tour of the Orient.
There were some hopefuls who hovered close by but still at a respectful enough distance, hoping that their favorites might grace them with an autograph or perhaps even a picture. They watched as if in awe at the wrestlers as they made their way to the baggage carousel to claim their luggage, noting that many of the men and women looked dead on their feet -- and with good reason! It was just after noon now here in Nagasaki but to the wrestlers, it would be roughly 8PM the previous evening! All some of them of them wanted to do was get to their hotels, while others were well aware that they had work to do that was related to SCW and the tour itself; interviews, television spots and a fan meet, as were popular events promoted by the higher ups.
One of the ones who looked the worse for wear was Despayre himself, who seemed to being guided by the hands of Synn and Rage -- literally, as Rage steered the young man with a hand on his shoulder while Synn had his own hand on the small of his son's back. Despayre's eyes were near closed completely, and he staggered along like a zombie as if he were asleep on his feet, yet alert enough to maintain his protective grip on Angel who he held protectively against his upper body.
"Christ," Rage muttered. "Those pills really take it out of him."
Rage brought Despayre to a halt and the little guy leaned back against his father while the "Sin of Wrath" stood watch at the carousel, watching for their luggage to arrive.
"Yes, this time unfortunately." Synn replied. "Under most circumstances I'd say it was beneficial but until we all get used to this time difference, it's going to cause more than a handful of headaches."
A handful of the aforementioned fans converged nearby, the majority of them teenagers with their faces bright as they gazed on the gargantuan Internet Champion. Rage, noticing their unwanted attention, turned his head to look at them and he gave them his best snarl, what he used to get rid of most American fans, only it had the opposite effect on the Japanese teens. They smiled and laughed, as if it were all a show Rage was putting on for them, and they quickly snapped pictures of him and bowed before hurrying back to their family and friends. Rage just stared after him, caught off guard that his best glare had no adverse effects, but seemed to result in a new level of fan devotion where he was concerned. Rage could only growl and mutter beneath his breath.
"Swear jar." Despayre mumbled sleepily, prompting both Rage to look back at him over his shoulder and Synn to look down at him with surprise evident in their faces as to them, it appeared Despayre was anything but alert to whatever was going on around him.
"How the f-..." Rage huffed. "How did he hear me?"
"I think he just 'knows you' well enough he doesn't even have to be awake to understand you." Synn mused.
"Brilliant." Rage shook his head and turned back around as their flight's luggage started to pass through the overhead chutes and onto the track to the carousel.
Having grabbed hold of a luggage cart beforehand while making their way through the airport, Rage started to grab at their luggage and hefted it effortlessly onto the four wheeler so that they might head quickly to where they might hail a taxi to their hotel. Rage turned the cart around and before he or Synn could raise any objections (not that they would!), Despayre turned around and sat down on the many suitcases atop the cart, taking it upon himself to make things easier -- for him.
Of course, when he turned around he ended up facing the fans hovering about now, and that left a certain someone else in sight and a horde of fans, mostly children but also a few teens and adults as well, held up their cameras and tablets and they started taking snapshots. A few flashes alerted Despayre, jerking him from his awakened doze, and he jolted upright...
"Merry Christmas!" He cried out, much to the delight and pleasure of the fans who have become accustomed to his antics thanks to his various appearances on SCW programming worldwide. Despayre blinked and rubbed at his eyes before he gazed sleepily towards Rage and Synn and asked, "Are we there yet?"
"See for yourself." Rage grumbled, prompting the little guy to turn and look at the fans from his perch in the airport, and their eyes were not entirely on him. oh some were, make no mistake about that! But the delighted smiles and brightened eyes of many were fastened upon that cream colored plush form held in Despayre's own loving embrace.
Cries and excited yet hushed whispers of "Angel!" were heard around the group watching and following as Rage started to push the cart past, Synn following -- and the some of the fans hurrying to catch up while yet not wanting to get too close.
"Sometimes I can't believe the way that bear gets attention!" Rage growled, sharing the disbelief many in the industry feel about the level of popularity achieved by a teddy bear. (I would have said a 'simple' teddy bear but there is NOTHING simple about Angel!) Now somewhat more alert, but not quite awake, Despayre remained seated, enjoying the ride as his legs kicked idly over the edge of the cart.
"Oh what are you complaining about?" Synn asked, following along at the side of the cart to better ensure Despayre did not doze off again and have himself a spill for the Japanese public to see. Synn continued, "You got attention. Not the kid you expected, perhaps, but some is better than none."
Synn then paused a brief moment and looked around, causing Rage to stop and frown, "What are you looking for?"
"An airport this size, there's got to be a Starbucks or coffee stand somewhere." Synn reasoned, feeling the desperate desire for a much needed jolt of caffeine, considering the day ahead they had brewing. "Joshua and you can go back to sleep when we get to the hotel. Me? I have a few things to do before I can rest." he huffed, a frown deepening on his brow. "So if I don't get a coffee soon, I'm liable to go stark raving..."
But before Synn could finish his thought, he found a large Starbucks cup being held up in his face. He blinked and turned his head to find a smiling fan on the other end of that coffee. Reaching up to accept it, Synn tilted his head to acknowledge the gesture, and the fan smiled even brighter and hurried off. Synn looked at the coffee, then leaned in to sniff at it before quirking a brow and looking to Rage who could only shake his head.
Rage said, "I guess they know you pretty damn well too!"
Rage started to wheel the cart (and Despayre by proxy) forward. Synn stared after him, then shrugged and followed, taking a drink of the coffee...
"But we can't just stay in the hotel!"
"Joshua, you're tired. Rage is tired. I'm tired!"
"But we're in JAPAN! There are things to see! Plus how are we going to get used to the time difference if we just keep sleeping on our downtime?"
"What could be so important that you want to see?"
...
<img align=left src= "http://www.japan-guide.com/g2/4403_01.jpg"> What indeed?
"That's the Confucius Shrine!?" Despayre cried in horrified dismay as he stood at the bottom step of one of Nagasaki's most sacred areas, and one of the city's premiere tourist attractions. His gray eyes were wide as was his mouth, staring at the world's only Confucian Shrine built by Chinese hands outside of China itself.
"Well what exactly were you expecting it to be?" Rage said as he stood back, unable to help but (silently) admire the architecture of what stood before him.
"I thought it was gonna be a building or something filled with puzzles and riddles!" Despayre protested hotly. "I mean, it's right there in the name!"
"That's confusion, Despy!" Rage corrected.
"Yeah?" Despayre looked at first Rage, and then to his father and nodded. "So?"
Synn opted to make things easier on Rage by taking this one upon himself as he answered, "This is Confucius, not confusion. Confucius was a Chinese teacher and philosopher ages ago."
"Oh!" Despayre then turned his head and looked over the temple, before spinning around on the heel of his foot and started to head off, "Well that's just fascinating! But back to the hotel we ...!"
"Oh no you don't!" Rage caught the smaller man by the arm and wheeled him around. "You brought us all the way out here so we're going inside to see this whether I like it or not!"
Rage then held Despayre firmly by the shoulders and steered him through the shrine's pillars and towards the interior, Despayre moaning, "AWWWW!" all along the way!
"I think for this event, we have Tommy Knocks to thank. Yes, Mister Knocks, I am a listener to your show, as is Despayre himself. I believe you said something about Despayre needing to 'get over himself,' but if you had the slightest inkling of matters outside of your recording studio, then perhaps you would not be so quick to judge. You say that Christina Millar was 'not that mean' to Despayre, but how closely were you paying attention to everything she had been tweeting? You would seriously claim that this bitch telling someone like my son to 'Go Die In A Fire' is not mean? Hunh. I'll have to remember your definition of mean for later, perhaps."
"But this is not about you. No, this is about a man by the name of Chris Burden, who for the lack of a better definition, is being used as a means to an end. Chris, this match was booked well in advance, before the Hotwire ever aired, but you can rest assured that what will happen to you will be a direct result of everything Mister Knocks said in regards to your opponent, the next World Champion, Despayre. You will find out what everyone else has when they have climbed into the ring with Despayre; that you are just an unfortunate pawn to bigger and better things."
"You are bigger than Despayre, true, although not by much. You have about eight inches in height and maybe sixty pounds in weight at the most. Think that alone will give you a hefty advantage, do you? Hm, think about the size differences there are between men such as Casey Williams and Despayre, and who came out ahead of that contest, and then get back to me. And make no mistake, Casey Williams is by far better, bigger and badder than you could ever hope to be. Then again, so is Despayre. Perhaps not in physical stature, but in heart, quickness, and just overall skill. These fans in Nagasaki want to see a show. They want a display of technical and aerial skill, both of which Despayre wields in abundance, and you have for naught."
"All you have going for you is the need for another drink, and after Despayre is finished putting you flat on your back or making you cry uncle, you'll be lucky if you can crawl your way into the nearest Japanese bar to order another round. You'll feel like you have a hangover. You'll wish you had never signed on the dotted line to become a part of SCW's roster and thus placing you directly in Despayre's path."
"And you'll have Tommy Knocks to thank. Mister Knocks, I might just thank you myself. Perhaps those words of yours will light a fire when needed. I'm just not too certain that Chris Burden will be as grateful as I am."
"So what time is it there, anyway?" Gabriel asked as his image appeared on the screen of Synn's laptop, courtesy of Skype.
"Just after seven." Synn stated from the hotel room he was sharing with Despayre, resting back on the rear cushions of the room's sofa. The laptop was positioned on the end table, and behind Synn was the patio door, slid open and showcasing a lovely sunset over the Nagasaki skyline.
Synn frowned, thinking, "It's, what? Almost noon where you are?"
"Almost." Gabriel nodded. "Odette's out shopping for new clothes for Lucas. Little guy refuses to stop growing. Stubborn little guy."
"Just like his Uncle." Synn smirked, obviously referencing Despayre.
"Say, where is that 'little brother' of mine?" Gabriel asked, his eyes roaming from where he was, looking to see if he could spot Despayre somewhere in the hotel room from his limited vantage point. "I would have thought he'd be right here in front of you for this call."
Synn explained, "He most likely would be, but he and Melody are outside as we speak."
"Doing what?"
"Well we're in Japan, Gabriel. What would you expect they're doing?" Synn smirked. "They're out hunting Rodan."
"Ah." Gabriel nodded, his bottom lip jetted out in stark contemplation as if Synn's answer was all the reasonable explanation in the world. And where his Despy was concerned, it was! After all, the last time they were in Japan, Despayre had dragged Gabriel himself out into Tokyo to hunt for Godzilla himself. So why wouldn't the little guy make a bid for netting one of Godzilla's infamous rivals?
Unseen behind Synn in the background, Despayre and Melody raced past the open patio door of the hotel room: Despayre with a length of rope fashioned into a lasso in his arms, and Melody waving a large butterfly net around in the air...
"So how was the Confucius Shrine?" Gabriel asked, leaning back at his own desk chair and taking a drink of water from his glass. "Did Despy finally stop fussing and enjoy himself?"
"Eventually." Synn admitted. "Soon as he found out there was a museum in a building in the back, he took a bit of an actual interest in what the Shrine was and not what he had thought it was going to be."
Behind Synn, Despayre and Melody ran into the frame of the patio door, their eyes still stretched "upwards" towards something unseen! Melody swung the butterfly net up until the net vanished above the top of the patio door -- she pulled hard when something jerked her right up into the air!
"Hey!" Despayre yelled and raced back out of sight!
His son's outburst caused Synn to turn his head, but he saw nothing in time. Shaking his head, he turned back around to Gabriel on the laptop and said, "Hm, for a second I thought he had caught us conversing without his knowledge. You know what happens then."
Gabriel smiled, knowing all too well Despayre's indignant behavior when he would find out the rare time Gabriel and Synn might speak without Despayre being around to indulge in the same with his big brother.]
Behind Synn, Despayre raced back into the frame of the patio door and threw his "lasso" up into the air! Something on the other end caused the rope to tighten and suddenly Despayre too was jerked up into the air and out of sight with an audible "WOOOOP!"
Synn spun around again, but just like before, he did so too late to see anything of what his son and Miss Grace were up to! Not knowing, well anything, was perhaps Synn's biggest pet peeve - especially where Despayre was concerned!
"What is going on over there!?" Gabriel frowned, but the delighted light of mischief in his eyes for the antics he knew Despayre was capable of.
"I don't know!" Synn said indignantly, standing up from the sofa. "I have a bad feeling I'm going to have to go outside and bring them in..."
But before he could finish that thought, or even make good on that fatherly promise, he was interrupted by the sharp and surprised outcry from his son as he plummeted from up above the patio door and the momentum of the swing sent him sprawled out across the back of the sofa with an audible "Oof!"
Gabriel's eyes were wide in surprise, as this was new, even for Despy! Synn spun around in startled surprise at the cry and impact against the back of the sofa.
"Joshua! What the hell is....!?" Synn started to demand, but Despayre stood upright with an expression very much like what his own father might wear when frustrated or upset. Despayre brushed himself off and power marched back over to the open patio door and shouted up into the sky.
"I BELIEVE I had a friend!" He called out. He then held out his arms and Angel plopped from somewhere up above. Despayre looked down at the teddy bear with love and devotion, then back into the air with that frown again.
"AND!?"
And a split second later, Melody came flying down atop Despayre and Angel --
SPLAT!
Synn slowly turned around and stared at the laptop screen.
"Please tell me you saw that."
"I didn't see shit." Gabriel replied, reaching from his end yo turn off Skype.
