January 12, 2021
2:00 pm
St. Louis, Missouri
The lobby of a somewhat swanky hotel
So this is America. To be completely honest Hikari Noa really has no idea what to expect out of it, this being her very first trip to the west. In 2020 Tokyo Joshi Pro had been scheduled to do a show in Tampa, but then shit had gone down. Namely a pandemic which had thrown a wrench in those plans and caused them to careen into a ditch, flip upside down and then catch fire somehow. Such had been the experience of a Joshi wrestler amid an international health crisis. While she’s fought a lot in front of empty venues it’s been her most successful year by far as a professional wrestler.
It’s seen her first singles championship victory - the International Princess Championship. Winning it is an achievement she’s deeply proud of - a tribute to her friend Natsumi, who departed TJPW for Stardom. This year hasn’t all been good after all. Most of her close friends on the TJPW roster either move on to other companies or retire from the ring. She’s the last one standing and it’s been utterly and heartbreakingly lonely. With the rise of WLCW, even the few relationships she’s managed to forge in TJPW have been blown away in the wind. But Hikari Noa? She’s still standing somehow.
And she’s here in America despite all the odds. WLCW prides itself on having all the best talent in the world, and she’s not really sure that she fits that bill. Plenty of other women are much more complete and polished wrestlers than she is. Her new manager and teacher insists that she’s got an incredible amount of talent and potential herself. Maybe that’s true. It doesn’t help her shake the feeling that maybe she’s the odd duck out in this new company. But she’s here regardless. Best to enjoy it!
Hikari’s in the lobby waiting for her ride to the arena where she’s making her WLCW debut. She’s trying not to overthink the implications of the match in which she’s to complete. A tag team contest in the main event of the company’s first show, alongside the very talented Jamie Hayter. The Deathmatch Princess doesn’t know much more about Jamie beyond the talent that she possesses, but that’s enough to make her extra excited. It’s even more exciting because of who she gets to face in that tag team match. Julia she doesn't know much about at all. Momo Watanabe though? Now that’s a woman who has all kinds of darkness inside her these days. Watanabe was already incredibly dangerous before, but now? Now she’s looking to be an absolute killer in that ring that anyone would be insane to tangle with.
This fact alone makes her more excited than words can properly explain. Before she can think any more on it, though, she finally realizes that there’s someone sitting next to her. A guy she’s never seen before, dressed in formal attire and seemingly very interested in her. For a moment she feels absolutely confused as to what he could possibly want with her. What in the world is this? Maybe he’s not actually looking at her. When the man begins to speak she’s mortified - he is speaking to her.
Drake Maverick: “Hey there luv, you’re Noa-san, aren’t you?”
It takes her a long moment to process the simple question. Like a lot of girls who come over from Japan she understands a bit more English than she can competently speak. She recognizes her name, and that this is a greeting. So, using the English she’s attempted to practice, Hikari responds.
Hikari: “Y-yes. My name is Hikari Noa!”
Drake Maverick: “Then you’re just the girl I’m lookin’ for. I represent Jamie Hayter, your partner.”
Hikari nods slowly.
Hikari: “Yes, Jamie-san. Good.. good wrestler.”
She wants to show this guy, who has something to do with her partner, that she’s going to be a good partner for Jamie. Maybe she’s a bit lacking in experience compared to their opponents but she’s sure going to throw everything she has at the other women. Especially the Black Peach. Boy is she excited for that. So she tries to think of how to express that in English. It’s a confounding problem that requires a great deal of her focus and she only half pays attention to the man as he speaks further.
Drake: “Don’t you worry luv, as Jamie Hatyer’s representative, I wanna make you a star too! Tell me about yourself.”
She thinks she’s found some words, so she responds.
Hikari: “Coming to USA.. happy? I… I like.. tatakau.. Fight? Fight! I like.. To.. fight! Fight.. Exciting? Fun! Fight is exciting! I will fight very.. fight exciting.”
That should do it. She has an eager smile on her face as she thinks about how good this battle’s going to be. To an outside observer it appears to be a bit too full of bloodlust to be normal for a 23 year old woman, even one who’s a wrestler. Judging by the man’s silence he’s clearly impressed though. Clearly words can’t describe just how much he appreciates having someone like her on Jamie’s team. In fact he has no further questions and excuses himself rather abruptly.
Drake: “O-okay then! Gotta go help my client Jamie Hayter with something. See you at the arena, luv.”
Hikari beams.
Hikari: “Thank you! Bye bye!”
Nailed it.
January 12, 2022
6:00 pm
St. Louis, Missouri
Somewhere backstage at the arena before Vengeance
Hikari is ready for war and growing quickly impatient with the time that still remains before she walks out in front of WLCW’s very first paying crowd. What’s the hold up? She’s all dressed up in her best ring gear, ready to bust some heads to the delight of thousands in the building and millions around the world. It’s obviously disappointing to her that this isn’t going to be a deathmatch or any kind of fun stipulations like that. Just very straightforward tag team action. Still, there are shenanigans that a girl can get up to in a match with so many moving parts. The referee couldn’t be watching everyone the entire time, could they?
Not that Hikari has any intention of breaking the rules, of course. Far from it. She just wants to bend them a bit so she’s not stuck in a corner waiting for a tag so that she can get into the battle. Jump off the apron and really throw down with the women from the other team! Rules about what you could do in Tokyo Joshi were a little more relaxed and ill defined. Here though, she’s heard that you can’t get away with nearly as much. Probably for the best that she’s not bringing any weapons to the ring with her. This isn’t the place that you could get away with that kind of stuff.
What does a girl hungry for battle do when she’s got a while to go before that battle begins? Besides pacing and trying to think of fun ways to mess with her opponents, she’s not really sure. Hikari doesn’t know anyone here other than her manager and that guy she spoke to at the hotel earlier. He seems nice, and he apparently is involved with her partner. If she sees him again maybe he’ll get to see just how good she is! Remembering her conversation with her makes her recall that he’s a bit taller than her. To be honest she’s used to looking up at people since pretty much anyone not named Shoko Nakajima are at least an inch or two taller than her. Especially around here! Maybe that’s why she’s heard American promotions referred to as ‘the land of the giants’! Giants or no, Hikari is ready to fight! The eagerness she feels must be supremely evident on her face as her manager suddenly comments on it.
Kagetsu: <”Oi, Hikarin! You look like a starving wolf! Ease it up a little, kid, you’ve got a while to go.”>
Hikari’s attention returns to her present surroundings and she sees Kagetsu standing there next to her. The woman who was once the demon queen of Stardom is now a retired advisor to the new generation of Joshi talent. Dressed in that dapper white suit she looks like she could be hanging out at a bar or formal event as easily as she could at a wrestling show. Neither of them has wrestled extensively outside of Japan, so neither is super certain what to expect. Yet the hours of hell that Kagetsu’s put Hikari through have made Hikari even stronger than before. Physically stronger and mentally stronger to be specific. The Deathmatch Princess stretches her arms out to either side as she responds.
Hikari: <”I can’t help it, Kagetsu-sensei! I finally get to get back in a ring tonight! I don’t have much else, but I have wrestling! Even if no one else from TJPW is here I want to make all of them proud. Especially when I’m facing opponents like these!”>
The thoughts are as rapid as they are chaotic. After TJPW was bought she wasn’t sure she’d get to wrestle. Most likely such a fate would leave her with nothing more than being an idol. No real danger other than overwork and weird as hell fans getting up in your business. Sticking around in UpUp Girls would be… fine. That’s it. Fine. No Miu or Maki around though. Just her alone with the stress and emptiness of being utterly alone.
But here? Here she can fight. This door being open for her presents an avenue to something that can fill that void. Maybe she doesn’t have friends here. Maybe she doesn’t speak the language most of the people here do. But she can fight. Hikari looks forward to the war to come with both Julia Hart and Momo Watanabe; the fire of battle is warm and cozy. It gives her life. Both of her opponents are very talented, one of them being extra violent in her reborn form. Just imagining the pain the Black Peach’s strikes will inflict… oh, it makes her so happy to consider. And to consider the pain she can dish out to Julia and Momo in tandem.
Just then Matt Striker appears nearby with a camera crew. Hikari doesn’t know who he is but at least can tell he’s with the company. There’s another guy in a suit who looks Japanese - a translator? Kagetsu just eyes the film crew dubiously, but HIkari? She’s thrilled. Maybe they’re here to tell her the match has been moved up. Battle is imminent! Striker looks less than thrilled as he waits for the go-ahead from the control booth. His translator stands nearby with a cup of coffee. HIkari stands between them, the tiniest person in the shot. Her smile is infectious and yet unsettling simultaneously.
Striker: “I’m here backstage with Hikari Noa, who’s wrestling in the main event tonight against Julia Hart and..”
He sighs.
Striker: “Momo Watanabe. Hikari, any thoughts you’d like to share with the fans about your debut match?”
Hikari beams with a bit of madness in her eyes - the man next to her translates for her.
Hikari: <”Tonight is gonna be the most fun I’ve had in a long time! I’ve never fought a cheerleader before, but I bet she’s super athletic. And Momo-chan looks like some kind of ghoul.. Like Sadako from Ringu! It’s just going to be a crazy, happy fight out there! I’m looking forward to it! I’m not as good at wrestling as them.. But I’m hard to kill. And I’ll keep coming at them all match.> Crazy… happy… faito!”
She throws her arms out excitedly and knocks the cup of coffee out of the translator’s hand and onto Striker’s jacket. Hikari races out of the shot, leaving Striker to let out a string of expletives that get bleeped out.
