Post by amyzing on Feb 19, 2015 17:06:22 GMT -6
The sun is starting to sink lower in the skies over San Francisco, California, as the afternoon carries on, but that hardly seems to be stopping anyone from doing anything. In fact, as the sun gets lower, it seems more and more people are getting busier and busier this day.
A sense of celebration hangs in the air. All throughout Chinatown, people are busy at work. Store owners a busy cleaning their stores while homeowners tidy up their home. Paper lanterns and other decorations are hung throughout the area. Vendors occupy themselves by moving or arranging items on their carts, which range from paper lanterns to kites to fireworks, to numerous food venders. Performers, such as jugglers and acrobats and those performers who carry around the dragon costume stand long the street preparing their acts. Truly, there is a celebration about to begin.
“The Hong Kong Sensation” Amy Zing walks down the street, passed all the vendors and decorations, looking at them as she strolls. A light breeze moves through the city street, causing the lanterns to move and a few loose hairs on her head to float around. She brushes them from her face.
Amy stops and looks around, she takes her hands from the pockets of her leather jacket and gestures to the decorations, the vendor carts and performers that fill the street she is standing on.
“Today marks the Chinese New Year.”
She gestures to the shops and homes that are being cleaned and bare decorations as well. She lowers her hands with a smile as she takes it all in. This is a part of her heritage, her culture, even though her family moved to the United States from China years ago, when she was a child, it is still part of her.
“Somehow, Chinese New Year has found its way into American culture, somewhat like the Irish’s Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Mexican Cinco de Mayo, but hardly seems as big as Saint Patrick’s Day. Still, I personally think it shows what America, or at least the ideals America was built on, that so many cultures can come together and embrace the traditions of others.”
Amy starts to walk back down the street. Her eyes dart along the street as she takes in the sights and sounds of her adopted hometown getting ready for a festival that has been a part of the town since early Chinese immigrants came to the shores of California, and has spread across to anywhere those of Chinese descent call home.
“Today starts fifteen days where Chinese celebrate the past 4000 years of Chinese history. We clean, meet with friends and family, and follow numerous traditions spread out over the various cultures that have made Chinese culture what it is. We look back upon the past, reflecting on it, as we look towards the future and what tomorrow may bring us.”
“That, I think, is the essence of what any New Year’s celebration is, reflecting on the past as you look towards the future. No matter how bad yesterday was, tomorrow holds the promise of being better. On that same note, if yesterday was a great day, tomorrow holds the potential to be even better.”
“A few weeks ago, I made a resolution to try and make my 2015 better than my 2014. I had a pretty good 2014 when I look back at it. I may have said good-bye to some old friends and said hello to some new ones. I dated. I helped close out the APW with a great match that I will always remember. I also found a new home here in the UWA, and I accomplished a huge and historic win when I became the first UWA Television Champion. I may have lost the title at the end of 2014, and I may not have accomplished what I wanted to do, but I consider my 2014 to have been a good year.”
“I had hoped to start of my 2015 with an even bigger moment. I had a chance to become the North American Champion by beating Ashley Kenyon. Now I am not so arrogant to stand here and say that I would have beaten her and become champion. I do not know if I would have won. All I do know is that getting hit with a clothesline and a chain did not help me win that match.”
“And yet, you seemed rather surprised when I walked down to the ring a few weeks ago, after you had said what you said about me and tried to justify your actions, and I kicked your head off. That really caught you by surprise Vince? Really, when you actually stop and think about it, how did you think this would go down?”
She shakes her head and sighs. She stops walking as she sees several dragon kites being set up by a vendor. Even in Chinese culture, where the dragon is less the evil and destructive armor-plated, intelligent, magical, fire-breathing, killing machine that lays waste to kingdoms that it is in the West, and somewhat more benevolent, but it is still an armor-plated, intelligent, magical, fire-breathing killing machine, that while often benevolent, has unleashed its wrath before.
“I have to ask, honestly, how did you expect this thing that has developed between the two of us to go? What did you expect would happen? How did you expect me to react to what you have said or what you have done? I have to ask, Vince, because I find myself curious, because I find myself in this position a few times.”
“Maybe it is because I am a nice person that causes people to think they can walk all over me or that they can use me as some sort of stepping stone to get to the top. I really have no idea why, because it is not like I am the greatest wrestler here or some legendary multiple-time champion or the franchise or the face of the company. Yes, I am popular, and I am grateful for every day my fans continue to support me, just as I am grateful for every day I can go out to that ring and compete because I love this job.”
There is a tone of wrath in Amy’s voice as she speaks.
“But really Vince, what made you think that you could attack me and we wouldn’t find ourselves at this point, about to step into the ring at Tragic Engagement?”
“Did you think that you could cost me a title match and I would somehow be okay with it?”
“Did you think that just because you hold a victory over me, I would accept that I cannot defeat you, and take what you did with a good humor?”
“Did you think I would be okay with you trying to use me to send some sort of message?”
“Did you think I would not want to meet you in the ring and kick your head off?”
“Let me answer those questions for you Vince.”
“The answer to all of those questions is “no”.”
She turns away from the dragons and shakes her head.
“No, I am not okay with you costing me a title match. Maybe I would have won, or maybe I would have lost anyway, but I would rather have lost because Ashley Kenyon was able to beat me, not because you had to hit mew with a chain.”
“No Vince, the fact that you have beaten me once before did not make me believe that I am incapable of beating you in a match, nor did it cause me to feel I should just accept what you did with good humor. On the contrary, it had something of an opposite effect. Losing to someone makes me take a look about what I did wrong the first time and try to beat them again the next time and I do take costing me a championship personally, as would anyone.”
“No, I am not okay with you using me to try and send some sort of message, because it means that I have to go out and send a message of my own, and that message is that I may be a nice person, but never mistake niceness for weakness because I will show you that I am far from weak.”
“No, I want you in that ring. You do not cost me a title or use me to send some sort of message and I just let you walk away. You do that and I do not try to kick your head off. No Vince, you do that to me and I go out and make it a point to kick your head off, because I really want to Vince. I really want to kick your head off.”
“Really, Vince, did you expect a different outcome? Did you expect me to lie down and die so you could try to get back to the top? Did you expect me to be okay with you using me for some sort of message? Your issue was with Ashley, and yet, you chose to start a fight with me. Did you think I would not retaliate in anyway?”
“You should not have, because that was not going to happen. It will never happen. I do not lay down and die for anyone. I will never just lay down and die for someone. I may get knocked down, I may lose a match every now and then, but I will always, always get back up Vince. You hit me with a clothesline and a chain, and you had best believe that I am not going to just lay down and die. You had better believe that I will get back up again. You had best believe I am going to want to get into the ring and fight. You had best believe in that scenario I am going to kick your head off, not try, but actually attempt to do it.”
She starts walking again, stopping at a cross walk to let a few cars and people come by. She sighs again, as if this is more an annoying reoccurrence in her life than anything else. The tone of her voice seems to have returned to normal, but there is a hint of that frustration in there.
“This is not the first time someone decided to use me as a vehicle to get themself to the top. I will admit though, you showed a little more courage than he did. He was about your size, and yet, he hired a bodyguard to keep me from beating the hell out of him, and it only really worked because he was the general manager’s favorite. I may not like you Vince, but I admire that you are not hiding behind others to avoid this fight that you started.”
“You started this fight when you attacked me Vince. And now you seem surprised that this has become a fight Vince. There was no other way this would end. There was no other way for this thing to go Vince. You attacked me and insulted me. I am a nice person, or at least I try very hard to be a nice person. I try to be kind and respectful, but that does not mean I am a doormat. It will never mean I am a doormat. That is a mistake that has cost more than a few people a win and gave more than a few people a headache. I did not start this fight Vince, but I am going to do everything I can to end it.”
“And that’s actually become my New Year’s resolution Vince, going to Tragic Engagement and kicking your head off. We really don't do New Year's resolutions in China, but in this case, I will make an exception. It wouldn't be the first time, and I doubt it will be the last.”
“I cannot argue your ability. You held the UWA North American Championship for a very long time. You beat a lot of big talents as champion. You showed that you were not the paper champion that people claimed you were, but actually a very capable wrestler and a decent champion. Yes Vince, you are arrogant, even a bit egotistical at times, but you showed that you can back it up in the ring.”
“But when you get right down to it Vince, if I am perfectly honest, while I admire what you can do in the ring, I personally find you to be an arrogant thuggish bully of a man. Week after week, we are treated to either you walking out and talking about how good you are, or we are treated to some random act of violence from you. It is like you have only those two modes; brag or violence. No wonder you looked so surprised when I dropped you with a Fenghuang Kick a few weeks ago. You really didn’t see it coming, did you? You thought this would be easy or somehow not end up in a fight?”
Amy stops as a vender cart of fireworks moves in front of her. It is loaded with small rockets, sparklers and other such items that will be sold for the evening’s festivities. Amy watches as the cart goes by her.
“As I said Vince, there was no other way for this thing to end between us. This was going to end up in a match. This was going to end up with us facing each other down in the ring and only one of us coming out with a win.”
Amy starts walking again. She stops at one of the vender carts. This one sells kites. One in particular catches her eye. It is a kite designed like a phoenix, the legendary bird she has associated with for her entire career, the lord of all birds in Chinese folk lore, and the symbol of rebirth, immortality and femininity, the bird that dies in fire and is reborn from the ashes.
Seeing this, she of course has to try and get it. Amy approaches the vendor, and selects the kite, paying for it. The two exchange pleasantries in Chinese and Amy walks off with her purchase after signing an autograph for the vendor and posing for a picture with him.
“Now to be perfectly honest, the odds favor you. I will not deny that you beat me once before, a few months ago. I am not going to say that this time will be any different. This time may see you standing in the ring with your hand raised in victory once more. Or maybe it sees me kicking your head off and ending with my arm raised. Or maybe it does not, and history repeats itself with you winning. If that is the case Vince, I am going to make you work for it every minute of that match because you can knock me down, but as long as I have strength enough, I will keep getting back up. I may go down in flames Vince, but I will always get back up, and I am bloody damn well going to try to take you down with me.”
A light breeze rustles the paper of her kite, and blows through her long hair, but Amy seems not to notice. Her voice sounds determined, and even though she knows the odds, that’s never stopped her before, nor does it seem likely that it will ever actually stop her.
“You may not have wanted a fight, believing you could attack me and send your message, but you have one now, and I am going to give you a fight whether you wanted it or not. My new year’s resolution is to take your head off and Tragic Engagement is within the fifteen days of Chinese New Years, so let’s see if I can make my resolution come true and I can take your head off.”
“You started this fight, and maybe I will end it, or maybe I don’t, but I am not going to make it easy for you. I refuse to lay down and die just to serve as a stepping stone for you, or anyone else Vince. You can knock me down, mock me all you want, and you may even beat me, but I am going to make you work for it, because at Tragic Engagement, I am coming to kick your fat, arrogant head off your bloody shoulders and show you why I am simply Amy Zing.”
“Happy New Years.”
Amy keeps walking down the street, still taking in the sights and the sounds as all over the world, people prepare for Chinese New Years.
A sense of celebration hangs in the air. All throughout Chinatown, people are busy at work. Store owners a busy cleaning their stores while homeowners tidy up their home. Paper lanterns and other decorations are hung throughout the area. Vendors occupy themselves by moving or arranging items on their carts, which range from paper lanterns to kites to fireworks, to numerous food venders. Performers, such as jugglers and acrobats and those performers who carry around the dragon costume stand long the street preparing their acts. Truly, there is a celebration about to begin.
“The Hong Kong Sensation” Amy Zing walks down the street, passed all the vendors and decorations, looking at them as she strolls. A light breeze moves through the city street, causing the lanterns to move and a few loose hairs on her head to float around. She brushes them from her face.
Amy stops and looks around, she takes her hands from the pockets of her leather jacket and gestures to the decorations, the vendor carts and performers that fill the street she is standing on.
“Today marks the Chinese New Year.”
She gestures to the shops and homes that are being cleaned and bare decorations as well. She lowers her hands with a smile as she takes it all in. This is a part of her heritage, her culture, even though her family moved to the United States from China years ago, when she was a child, it is still part of her.
“Somehow, Chinese New Year has found its way into American culture, somewhat like the Irish’s Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Mexican Cinco de Mayo, but hardly seems as big as Saint Patrick’s Day. Still, I personally think it shows what America, or at least the ideals America was built on, that so many cultures can come together and embrace the traditions of others.”
Amy starts to walk back down the street. Her eyes dart along the street as she takes in the sights and sounds of her adopted hometown getting ready for a festival that has been a part of the town since early Chinese immigrants came to the shores of California, and has spread across to anywhere those of Chinese descent call home.
“Today starts fifteen days where Chinese celebrate the past 4000 years of Chinese history. We clean, meet with friends and family, and follow numerous traditions spread out over the various cultures that have made Chinese culture what it is. We look back upon the past, reflecting on it, as we look towards the future and what tomorrow may bring us.”
“That, I think, is the essence of what any New Year’s celebration is, reflecting on the past as you look towards the future. No matter how bad yesterday was, tomorrow holds the promise of being better. On that same note, if yesterday was a great day, tomorrow holds the potential to be even better.”
“A few weeks ago, I made a resolution to try and make my 2015 better than my 2014. I had a pretty good 2014 when I look back at it. I may have said good-bye to some old friends and said hello to some new ones. I dated. I helped close out the APW with a great match that I will always remember. I also found a new home here in the UWA, and I accomplished a huge and historic win when I became the first UWA Television Champion. I may have lost the title at the end of 2014, and I may not have accomplished what I wanted to do, but I consider my 2014 to have been a good year.”
“I had hoped to start of my 2015 with an even bigger moment. I had a chance to become the North American Champion by beating Ashley Kenyon. Now I am not so arrogant to stand here and say that I would have beaten her and become champion. I do not know if I would have won. All I do know is that getting hit with a clothesline and a chain did not help me win that match.”
“And yet, you seemed rather surprised when I walked down to the ring a few weeks ago, after you had said what you said about me and tried to justify your actions, and I kicked your head off. That really caught you by surprise Vince? Really, when you actually stop and think about it, how did you think this would go down?”
She shakes her head and sighs. She stops walking as she sees several dragon kites being set up by a vendor. Even in Chinese culture, where the dragon is less the evil and destructive armor-plated, intelligent, magical, fire-breathing, killing machine that lays waste to kingdoms that it is in the West, and somewhat more benevolent, but it is still an armor-plated, intelligent, magical, fire-breathing killing machine, that while often benevolent, has unleashed its wrath before.
“I have to ask, honestly, how did you expect this thing that has developed between the two of us to go? What did you expect would happen? How did you expect me to react to what you have said or what you have done? I have to ask, Vince, because I find myself curious, because I find myself in this position a few times.”
“Maybe it is because I am a nice person that causes people to think they can walk all over me or that they can use me as some sort of stepping stone to get to the top. I really have no idea why, because it is not like I am the greatest wrestler here or some legendary multiple-time champion or the franchise or the face of the company. Yes, I am popular, and I am grateful for every day my fans continue to support me, just as I am grateful for every day I can go out to that ring and compete because I love this job.”
There is a tone of wrath in Amy’s voice as she speaks.
“But really Vince, what made you think that you could attack me and we wouldn’t find ourselves at this point, about to step into the ring at Tragic Engagement?”
“Did you think that you could cost me a title match and I would somehow be okay with it?”
“Did you think that just because you hold a victory over me, I would accept that I cannot defeat you, and take what you did with a good humor?”
“Did you think I would be okay with you trying to use me to send some sort of message?”
“Did you think I would not want to meet you in the ring and kick your head off?”
“Let me answer those questions for you Vince.”
“The answer to all of those questions is “no”.”
She turns away from the dragons and shakes her head.
“No, I am not okay with you costing me a title match. Maybe I would have won, or maybe I would have lost anyway, but I would rather have lost because Ashley Kenyon was able to beat me, not because you had to hit mew with a chain.”
“No Vince, the fact that you have beaten me once before did not make me believe that I am incapable of beating you in a match, nor did it cause me to feel I should just accept what you did with good humor. On the contrary, it had something of an opposite effect. Losing to someone makes me take a look about what I did wrong the first time and try to beat them again the next time and I do take costing me a championship personally, as would anyone.”
“No, I am not okay with you using me to try and send some sort of message, because it means that I have to go out and send a message of my own, and that message is that I may be a nice person, but never mistake niceness for weakness because I will show you that I am far from weak.”
“No, I want you in that ring. You do not cost me a title or use me to send some sort of message and I just let you walk away. You do that and I do not try to kick your head off. No Vince, you do that to me and I go out and make it a point to kick your head off, because I really want to Vince. I really want to kick your head off.”
“Really, Vince, did you expect a different outcome? Did you expect me to lie down and die so you could try to get back to the top? Did you expect me to be okay with you using me for some sort of message? Your issue was with Ashley, and yet, you chose to start a fight with me. Did you think I would not retaliate in anyway?”
“You should not have, because that was not going to happen. It will never happen. I do not lay down and die for anyone. I will never just lay down and die for someone. I may get knocked down, I may lose a match every now and then, but I will always, always get back up Vince. You hit me with a clothesline and a chain, and you had best believe that I am not going to just lay down and die. You had better believe that I will get back up again. You had best believe I am going to want to get into the ring and fight. You had best believe in that scenario I am going to kick your head off, not try, but actually attempt to do it.”
She starts walking again, stopping at a cross walk to let a few cars and people come by. She sighs again, as if this is more an annoying reoccurrence in her life than anything else. The tone of her voice seems to have returned to normal, but there is a hint of that frustration in there.
“This is not the first time someone decided to use me as a vehicle to get themself to the top. I will admit though, you showed a little more courage than he did. He was about your size, and yet, he hired a bodyguard to keep me from beating the hell out of him, and it only really worked because he was the general manager’s favorite. I may not like you Vince, but I admire that you are not hiding behind others to avoid this fight that you started.”
“You started this fight when you attacked me Vince. And now you seem surprised that this has become a fight Vince. There was no other way this would end. There was no other way for this thing to go Vince. You attacked me and insulted me. I am a nice person, or at least I try very hard to be a nice person. I try to be kind and respectful, but that does not mean I am a doormat. It will never mean I am a doormat. That is a mistake that has cost more than a few people a win and gave more than a few people a headache. I did not start this fight Vince, but I am going to do everything I can to end it.”
“And that’s actually become my New Year’s resolution Vince, going to Tragic Engagement and kicking your head off. We really don't do New Year's resolutions in China, but in this case, I will make an exception. It wouldn't be the first time, and I doubt it will be the last.”
“I cannot argue your ability. You held the UWA North American Championship for a very long time. You beat a lot of big talents as champion. You showed that you were not the paper champion that people claimed you were, but actually a very capable wrestler and a decent champion. Yes Vince, you are arrogant, even a bit egotistical at times, but you showed that you can back it up in the ring.”
“But when you get right down to it Vince, if I am perfectly honest, while I admire what you can do in the ring, I personally find you to be an arrogant thuggish bully of a man. Week after week, we are treated to either you walking out and talking about how good you are, or we are treated to some random act of violence from you. It is like you have only those two modes; brag or violence. No wonder you looked so surprised when I dropped you with a Fenghuang Kick a few weeks ago. You really didn’t see it coming, did you? You thought this would be easy or somehow not end up in a fight?”
Amy stops as a vender cart of fireworks moves in front of her. It is loaded with small rockets, sparklers and other such items that will be sold for the evening’s festivities. Amy watches as the cart goes by her.
“As I said Vince, there was no other way for this thing to end between us. This was going to end up in a match. This was going to end up with us facing each other down in the ring and only one of us coming out with a win.”
Amy starts walking again. She stops at one of the vender carts. This one sells kites. One in particular catches her eye. It is a kite designed like a phoenix, the legendary bird she has associated with for her entire career, the lord of all birds in Chinese folk lore, and the symbol of rebirth, immortality and femininity, the bird that dies in fire and is reborn from the ashes.
Seeing this, she of course has to try and get it. Amy approaches the vendor, and selects the kite, paying for it. The two exchange pleasantries in Chinese and Amy walks off with her purchase after signing an autograph for the vendor and posing for a picture with him.
“Now to be perfectly honest, the odds favor you. I will not deny that you beat me once before, a few months ago. I am not going to say that this time will be any different. This time may see you standing in the ring with your hand raised in victory once more. Or maybe it sees me kicking your head off and ending with my arm raised. Or maybe it does not, and history repeats itself with you winning. If that is the case Vince, I am going to make you work for it every minute of that match because you can knock me down, but as long as I have strength enough, I will keep getting back up. I may go down in flames Vince, but I will always get back up, and I am bloody damn well going to try to take you down with me.”
A light breeze rustles the paper of her kite, and blows through her long hair, but Amy seems not to notice. Her voice sounds determined, and even though she knows the odds, that’s never stopped her before, nor does it seem likely that it will ever actually stop her.
“You may not have wanted a fight, believing you could attack me and send your message, but you have one now, and I am going to give you a fight whether you wanted it or not. My new year’s resolution is to take your head off and Tragic Engagement is within the fifteen days of Chinese New Years, so let’s see if I can make my resolution come true and I can take your head off.”
“You started this fight, and maybe I will end it, or maybe I don’t, but I am not going to make it easy for you. I refuse to lay down and die just to serve as a stepping stone for you, or anyone else Vince. You can knock me down, mock me all you want, and you may even beat me, but I am going to make you work for it, because at Tragic Engagement, I am coming to kick your fat, arrogant head off your bloody shoulders and show you why I am simply Amy Zing.”
“Happy New Years.”
Amy keeps walking down the street, still taking in the sights and the sounds as all over the world, people prepare for Chinese New Years.