Post by Kuno Kenji on Sept 26, 2019 14:33:53 GMT -6
CRASH
Michael came rushing as he heard the sound of glass breaking. As he entered the small kitchen in his Seattle apartment he found Kuno standing in a freshly created puddle of milk, sprinkled with small shards of glass.
Michael took half a step forward before realizing the danger of the glittering, white-stained shards; silently cursing the catboys’ insistence to keep the house a shoe-free zone.
Kuno appeared to not even notice that he’s dropped his glass, the small man was transfixed on his phone; his eyes and mouth all wide open.
Michael: Kuno, darling… You okay? what’s wrong, kitten?
Kunos’ eyes remained fixed on his phone, seemingly entirely deaf to the world outside of him.
Michael: Hey!
The taller man stretched out his hand and snatched the phone from Kunos’ grip, bringing it around to tap the cat boy in the forehead.
Michael: Earth to Kuno, what the hell is going on?
Kunos' gaze moved slowly from his empty hand as his mouth changed from an expression of shock into a giddy grin.
Kuno: UCI is having a reunion show…
Michael: O-oh, yeah okay, that’s exciting…
Michaels’ face slowly moved from distress to happiness, much like Kuno but with a few seconds delay. His smile was a bit less ecstatic, more just happy that his boyfriend is happy.
That was until…
Michael: Do we need to get tickets, or-
Kuno: Mr. Adams asked me to make a return!
Kuno nimbly leaped over the glass shards and rushed towards their shared bedroom, frantically tearing through his closet space to find the unassuming cardboard box hidden there. Leaving Michael to stand in the kitchen, his smile sliding off his face as Kuno’s phone fell to join the glass and milk on the floor.
LINE
Nothing ruins a quiet night in, watching Yuri!!! On ICE with your boyfriend, quite like finding out they’re about to fight in a basically rules-free, totally barbaric and shamefully televised battle with 3 other men, most of them tall enough to dwarf them. Michael was sitting in the couch, eyes staring into nothingness as he tried to process what was going on. Kuno was making up for his boyfriends' inaction by doubling up with action of his own, discussion the on-screen events, the fit of his tights over his thighs and his opponents in the reunion show, all while stretching.
Kuno: Honestly Yurio is such a little brat but I still love him- Oh geez, have I gotten way stiffer or are these tights just too tight after all the ice cream? I’m sure Bolas is going to be way more flexible than me now, why on Earth did I let myself go this much, I’m sure he didn’t, I really like him, he’s funny, it’s a shame we’re not in the same match...
Michael had actually forgotten how taxing it could be dealing with an excited Kuno. The man was adorable when worked up, but when you were trying to process something, his incessant chatter could really wear you down.
Michael: Kuno, dear, please…
Luckily, Kuno is quite easy to cut off, he quieted down as soon as Michael spoke up and reached for the remote to pause the video in the middle of Yuri Plisetskys’ Triple Axel. Kuno stood up straight and looked at his boyfriend with a quizzically cocked head. Michael scootched slightly to the side on the couch, giving a clear signal to the other to sit down.
The pair ended up sitting cross-legged on either side of the small couch, facing each other, in a pose that had become routine to them when it came time to have a serious conversation ever since the day that Kuno came and asked Michael to take him back.
Kuno: What’s the matter, Michael? Am I talking too much again?
Michael: Yes- No- I mean...
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath to plan his next words.
Michael: I’m just worried about you, kitten. I know you love wrestling, but I must admit it’s been nice to not have to worry about you once a week, not having to see you wince in pain for days after every match…
Kuno: Michael-
Michael: No, I need to say this, and I need to do it now. I can’t go back to that, I can’t have that schedule of anxiety and sorrow in my life again…
Kuno stayed quiet for as the other man spoke, quietly biting his lip as Michael fought to keep his voice from breaking. He stayed quiet even after Michael stopped talking, not sure if the other had finished and equally unsure of what to say.
Kuno: I-i understand… I honestly didn’t know you felt that way, but I do understand what you mean. I honestly didn’t exactly love all the pain and injuries myself, but I did love the way the crowd loved me-
Michael: They loved you while you were willing to risk your life for their entertainment!
Kuno: I KNOW!
He shouted, eyes flashing a bright amber as he did so, before quickly curling up and making himself as small as possible.
Kuno: I know, okay? It wasn’t good for me and they didn’t love me for me, but it was still fun; it was something I was good at and could feel proud of…
Michael looked down at the small ball that was once in the shape of a man, silently pulling Kuno closer to him and combing his finger through the black hair, smiling as he saw the feline ears twitch.
Kuno: I know it’s good I stopped, but my career just kinda whimpered out, it started out with some losses, then I did great, I even beat Andre Holmes, which isn’t something most house cats can brag about…
He sighs and shakes his head, causing Michael to stop petting him, which earns him a sharp tug on the arm and an undignified noise from Kuno as a clear message to “keep going”.
Kuno: ...but then I got too unsure of myself, and I ended up losing my final two matches, and I don’t even want to mention my short time in The Brotherhood.
Michael subconsciously grips Kunos’ hair just a tiny bit harder at the mention of the dark period when the pair had taken a “break”, that choice hadn’t been good for either one of them.
Kuno: I just want one more match to show the world I’m me again, to give them something to remember me by…
Michael: ...okay, Kuno. I understand, and I support you, you go out and show the whole world that you’re the best damn cat-human hybrid wrestler.
Kuno chuckles, though the melancholy in his voice isn’t entirely gone.
Kuno: Thanks, plus if I’ll win this match I’ll be the Actual UCI World Champion forever-
Michael: Wait! You’re competing for the World Championship?!
Kuno can’t help but to laugh at the abject shock and horror in Michaels’ voice.
Kuno: No, you dummy. The “Actual” World Championship. You know, the belt Kyle Cameron and Andre Jenson fought over?
Michael: Oh… right…
Michael relaxed again, shock slowly flowing out of his system.
Michael: So are you fighting Jenson again then?
Kuno uncurled himself until he was properly sitting in his boyfriends' lap before shaking his head with a frown.
Kuno: No, he and Teo are still a tag team and are fighting together. It’s a shame, I’d have liked to face one of them again…
He shook his head as if to dislodge his disappointment.
Kuno: But no, I’m fighting that baka Cameron, who is Half of the Actual World Champion, and I guess that counts as being the reigning champion?
Michael: Hardly an opponent to set you up to put on a wrestling clinic, though I suppose getting the crowd on your side won’t be a challenge…
Kuno: Yeah, I guess so, unless Umeji steals the thunder…
Michaels’ poor heart was really in no state to deal with all the twists and turns of this conversation.
Michael: You’re facing Umeji too!?
Kuno: Y-yeah, and some lady from Action Wrestling named Claire Hawkins, I don’t really know her but she seems badass! Although a bit of a baka~
Michael took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts for what felt like the third time in the last 10 minutes.
Michael: Is there anything else I should know about what you’re getting yourself into?
Kuno: uhhh… Oh! Yes, it’s also a Tables Elimination match!
Michael: Ah… Well okay then, and what, pray tell, is a “Tables Elimination match”?
Kuno: Oh it’s simple! Everyone tries to put each other through a table; if you end up going through one you’re eliminated, last person standing wins!
Michael is now taking SEVERAL deep breaths to keep from shouting.
Michael: Okay, and this has to be your last match why, exactly?
Kuno: It’s the midcard, they want to have a real crazy showstopper to keep the crowd entertained. It’s actually really great because I’m the only real high-flyer in the match, so I’ll get to be the main focus of the crowd's attention!
Michael could think of about five different, more accurate, ways to phrase that, but decided to drop it.
Michael: You think you’ll win, then?
Kuno nods with a boxy grin on his face.
Kuno: Yeah, I’m one of only two people in the match who has held an official UCI title, after all, but don’t tell Jenson I said that if you ever meet him. Umeji is the Rising stars Champion and Claire apparently holds a title in Action wrestling.
Michael: Sounds like pretty much everyone else is a champion, though?
Kuno: Yeah… well…
Kunos’ nose and ears twitched as he tried to reconsider why he was so very confident.
Kuno: Just… just consider the story; it’s a UCI reunion show, so someone from another company couldn’t possibly win, especially not a foreign champion known for hyper aggression.
Kuno raised one finger, starting to count off his opponents.
Kuno: If the same douchebag who holds the championship now wins the match and gets to keep it, then the crowd goes home unhappy and disappointed. Not only has the status quo remained, but it’s also a negative status quo. Stories can end in the same way they start, but only if they start in a happy state, so Kyle Cameron can’t win.
He raised a second finger
And lastly Umeji; he would be a good choice for a winner, but after all he’s already a champion, and him winning a second, unofficial title would hardly be a great moment, so while he would be a good winner in a vacuum, the context of the story makes him a poor choice.
A third finger went up. His monologue complete, Kuno looked up into Michaels’ eyes.
Michael: But you winning would be a good choice for the story?
Kuno: Don’t you think? I’m a small and adorable crowd favorite who had a fall from grace but is getting one last chance at glory, winning a title that is only really recognized by the fans. Everyone goes home happy and the match is remembered as the perfect climax to my story!
Michael simply shook his head in bewilderment at his boyfriends logic.
Michael: You do realize that wrestling is real, right? Your career isn’t a spin-off to the Tiger Mask anime-
Kuno: Michael, you baka! I’m a cat boy who can throw fireballs, has a loving relationship and a career in professional wrestling, are you really that sure that life isn’t an anime?
Kunos’ tail comes to rest on his shoulder as he winks at his boyfriend.
Kuno: I know I’m not~
Michael came rushing as he heard the sound of glass breaking. As he entered the small kitchen in his Seattle apartment he found Kuno standing in a freshly created puddle of milk, sprinkled with small shards of glass.
Michael took half a step forward before realizing the danger of the glittering, white-stained shards; silently cursing the catboys’ insistence to keep the house a shoe-free zone.
Kuno appeared to not even notice that he’s dropped his glass, the small man was transfixed on his phone; his eyes and mouth all wide open.
Michael: Kuno, darling… You okay? what’s wrong, kitten?
Kunos’ eyes remained fixed on his phone, seemingly entirely deaf to the world outside of him.
Michael: Hey!
The taller man stretched out his hand and snatched the phone from Kunos’ grip, bringing it around to tap the cat boy in the forehead.
Michael: Earth to Kuno, what the hell is going on?
Kunos' gaze moved slowly from his empty hand as his mouth changed from an expression of shock into a giddy grin.
Kuno: UCI is having a reunion show…
Michael: O-oh, yeah okay, that’s exciting…
Michaels’ face slowly moved from distress to happiness, much like Kuno but with a few seconds delay. His smile was a bit less ecstatic, more just happy that his boyfriend is happy.
That was until…
Michael: Do we need to get tickets, or-
Kuno: Mr. Adams asked me to make a return!
Kuno nimbly leaped over the glass shards and rushed towards their shared bedroom, frantically tearing through his closet space to find the unassuming cardboard box hidden there. Leaving Michael to stand in the kitchen, his smile sliding off his face as Kuno’s phone fell to join the glass and milk on the floor.
LINE
Nothing ruins a quiet night in, watching Yuri!!! On ICE with your boyfriend, quite like finding out they’re about to fight in a basically rules-free, totally barbaric and shamefully televised battle with 3 other men, most of them tall enough to dwarf them. Michael was sitting in the couch, eyes staring into nothingness as he tried to process what was going on. Kuno was making up for his boyfriends' inaction by doubling up with action of his own, discussion the on-screen events, the fit of his tights over his thighs and his opponents in the reunion show, all while stretching.
Kuno: Honestly Yurio is such a little brat but I still love him- Oh geez, have I gotten way stiffer or are these tights just too tight after all the ice cream? I’m sure Bolas is going to be way more flexible than me now, why on Earth did I let myself go this much, I’m sure he didn’t, I really like him, he’s funny, it’s a shame we’re not in the same match...
Michael had actually forgotten how taxing it could be dealing with an excited Kuno. The man was adorable when worked up, but when you were trying to process something, his incessant chatter could really wear you down.
Michael: Kuno, dear, please…
Luckily, Kuno is quite easy to cut off, he quieted down as soon as Michael spoke up and reached for the remote to pause the video in the middle of Yuri Plisetskys’ Triple Axel. Kuno stood up straight and looked at his boyfriend with a quizzically cocked head. Michael scootched slightly to the side on the couch, giving a clear signal to the other to sit down.
The pair ended up sitting cross-legged on either side of the small couch, facing each other, in a pose that had become routine to them when it came time to have a serious conversation ever since the day that Kuno came and asked Michael to take him back.
Kuno: What’s the matter, Michael? Am I talking too much again?
Michael: Yes- No- I mean...
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath to plan his next words.
Michael: I’m just worried about you, kitten. I know you love wrestling, but I must admit it’s been nice to not have to worry about you once a week, not having to see you wince in pain for days after every match…
Kuno: Michael-
Michael: No, I need to say this, and I need to do it now. I can’t go back to that, I can’t have that schedule of anxiety and sorrow in my life again…
Kuno stayed quiet for as the other man spoke, quietly biting his lip as Michael fought to keep his voice from breaking. He stayed quiet even after Michael stopped talking, not sure if the other had finished and equally unsure of what to say.
Kuno: I-i understand… I honestly didn’t know you felt that way, but I do understand what you mean. I honestly didn’t exactly love all the pain and injuries myself, but I did love the way the crowd loved me-
Michael: They loved you while you were willing to risk your life for their entertainment!
Kuno: I KNOW!
He shouted, eyes flashing a bright amber as he did so, before quickly curling up and making himself as small as possible.
Kuno: I know, okay? It wasn’t good for me and they didn’t love me for me, but it was still fun; it was something I was good at and could feel proud of…
Michael looked down at the small ball that was once in the shape of a man, silently pulling Kuno closer to him and combing his finger through the black hair, smiling as he saw the feline ears twitch.
Kuno: I know it’s good I stopped, but my career just kinda whimpered out, it started out with some losses, then I did great, I even beat Andre Holmes, which isn’t something most house cats can brag about…
He sighs and shakes his head, causing Michael to stop petting him, which earns him a sharp tug on the arm and an undignified noise from Kuno as a clear message to “keep going”.
Kuno: ...but then I got too unsure of myself, and I ended up losing my final two matches, and I don’t even want to mention my short time in The Brotherhood.
Michael subconsciously grips Kunos’ hair just a tiny bit harder at the mention of the dark period when the pair had taken a “break”, that choice hadn’t been good for either one of them.
Kuno: I just want one more match to show the world I’m me again, to give them something to remember me by…
Michael: ...okay, Kuno. I understand, and I support you, you go out and show the whole world that you’re the best damn cat-human hybrid wrestler.
Kuno chuckles, though the melancholy in his voice isn’t entirely gone.
Kuno: Thanks, plus if I’ll win this match I’ll be the Actual UCI World Champion forever-
Michael: Wait! You’re competing for the World Championship?!
Kuno can’t help but to laugh at the abject shock and horror in Michaels’ voice.
Kuno: No, you dummy. The “Actual” World Championship. You know, the belt Kyle Cameron and Andre Jenson fought over?
Michael: Oh… right…
Michael relaxed again, shock slowly flowing out of his system.
Michael: So are you fighting Jenson again then?
Kuno uncurled himself until he was properly sitting in his boyfriends' lap before shaking his head with a frown.
Kuno: No, he and Teo are still a tag team and are fighting together. It’s a shame, I’d have liked to face one of them again…
He shook his head as if to dislodge his disappointment.
Kuno: But no, I’m fighting that baka Cameron, who is Half of the Actual World Champion, and I guess that counts as being the reigning champion?
Michael: Hardly an opponent to set you up to put on a wrestling clinic, though I suppose getting the crowd on your side won’t be a challenge…
Kuno: Yeah, I guess so, unless Umeji steals the thunder…
Michaels’ poor heart was really in no state to deal with all the twists and turns of this conversation.
Michael: You’re facing Umeji too!?
Kuno: Y-yeah, and some lady from Action Wrestling named Claire Hawkins, I don’t really know her but she seems badass! Although a bit of a baka~
Michael took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts for what felt like the third time in the last 10 minutes.
Michael: Is there anything else I should know about what you’re getting yourself into?
Kuno: uhhh… Oh! Yes, it’s also a Tables Elimination match!
Michael: Ah… Well okay then, and what, pray tell, is a “Tables Elimination match”?
Kuno: Oh it’s simple! Everyone tries to put each other through a table; if you end up going through one you’re eliminated, last person standing wins!
Michael is now taking SEVERAL deep breaths to keep from shouting.
Michael: Okay, and this has to be your last match why, exactly?
Kuno: It’s the midcard, they want to have a real crazy showstopper to keep the crowd entertained. It’s actually really great because I’m the only real high-flyer in the match, so I’ll get to be the main focus of the crowd's attention!
Michael could think of about five different, more accurate, ways to phrase that, but decided to drop it.
Michael: You think you’ll win, then?
Kuno nods with a boxy grin on his face.
Kuno: Yeah, I’m one of only two people in the match who has held an official UCI title, after all, but don’t tell Jenson I said that if you ever meet him. Umeji is the Rising stars Champion and Claire apparently holds a title in Action wrestling.
Michael: Sounds like pretty much everyone else is a champion, though?
Kuno: Yeah… well…
Kunos’ nose and ears twitched as he tried to reconsider why he was so very confident.
Kuno: Just… just consider the story; it’s a UCI reunion show, so someone from another company couldn’t possibly win, especially not a foreign champion known for hyper aggression.
Kuno raised one finger, starting to count off his opponents.
Kuno: If the same douchebag who holds the championship now wins the match and gets to keep it, then the crowd goes home unhappy and disappointed. Not only has the status quo remained, but it’s also a negative status quo. Stories can end in the same way they start, but only if they start in a happy state, so Kyle Cameron can’t win.
He raised a second finger
And lastly Umeji; he would be a good choice for a winner, but after all he’s already a champion, and him winning a second, unofficial title would hardly be a great moment, so while he would be a good winner in a vacuum, the context of the story makes him a poor choice.
A third finger went up. His monologue complete, Kuno looked up into Michaels’ eyes.
Michael: But you winning would be a good choice for the story?
Kuno: Don’t you think? I’m a small and adorable crowd favorite who had a fall from grace but is getting one last chance at glory, winning a title that is only really recognized by the fans. Everyone goes home happy and the match is remembered as the perfect climax to my story!
Michael simply shook his head in bewilderment at his boyfriends logic.
Michael: You do realize that wrestling is real, right? Your career isn’t a spin-off to the Tiger Mask anime-
Kuno: Michael, you baka! I’m a cat boy who can throw fireballs, has a loving relationship and a career in professional wrestling, are you really that sure that life isn’t an anime?
Kunos’ tail comes to rest on his shoulder as he winks at his boyfriend.
Kuno: I know I’m not~