Breaking the Tension! Episode 2: "Gnarly" Charlie Haines

"This Talia sounds like a very special and lucky woman." For now, at least. But Patty would be waiting. Oh, yes, she would. AFW relationships had a notoriously short shelf life, and the moment Charlie got free of Talia, she would be waiting to pounce and grab him like a hawk in the sky.

"Let's talk about your relationship with Alaina a little more." She walked about the ring and circled him, making to keep them both in the shot. "You two live together, don't you? Do you ever feel that's inappropriate? Most girlfriends wouldn't approve of their men being so close to such a friendly, attractive lady. How do you and Talia cope?"

"Well yeah, Alaina and I are good freinds who were signed together and in a new country. We figured we'd stick together to save up money since our entry contracts were a bit less lucrative than some are used to. The AFW took a gamble on us since we didn't come from a big, established promotion." Charlie said to Patty, who really seemed to enjoy asking him about his personal life more than his professional one. Granted, he never wrestled in the AFW yet. His female roommate had, and his girlfriend who he didn't live with used to so he understood why it was a bigger scoop.

"Alaina and I are just good friends. Talia understands that and knows I love her. Also Alaina is barely home. She spends a good deal of time at the gym training, and a lot of time at her boyfriends place." Charlie said. He knew Alaina wasn't happy with her record so far in the AFW, particularly against Friction opponents. From what Charlie could tell Alaina's woes were largely from her overall inexperience in wrestling. She had heart and grit to spare. "I just make sure that I spend as much time as I can with Talia. When she works I train. When she's off I make sure I am free."

Damn, this was some heartwarming stuff. Patty would have to get some music in here, something to match the mood. She could try some open-source stuff, or take her luck and get in some popular music. Maybe that techno-beatbox-synthetic-rave music kids were always shaking their ghetto booties to in the club.

At any rate, that well was starting to run dry, so it was time she started looking for alternate sources. "That's very true, the AFW is indeed taking a gamble on you here - male wrestlers don't have the best pedigree in this organization, and there are some who feel they shouldn't be allowed at all, that the 'female' in AFW should be more strictly adhered to. What do you say to detractors like that?"

"They have a point, but thats what Friction is for right? I mean its strictly women over there and Tension sort of allows for some other stuff. Without Tension we wouldn't have heard of a lot of good fighters." Charlie said. "If they ever did kick us out, I would probably look into being a manager or something. Other than this and doing goofy voices I really have no career skills." He added with a shrug. The sad thing is, that last part was true. If it wasn't for wrestling and his odd voice talent he'd be flipping burgers right now.

"Don't sell yourself short." She gave him a friendly pat on the back. "You could always do voiceover work. Goofy voices can get you a lot farther than you think." Especially in a place like Japan. It wasn't like the place had any shortage of crappy cartoons being churned out.

"Let's talk about your style." She moved over to the turnbuckle and leaned against it as Ran made her way up the stairs, zeroing in on him for a full profile shot. "With your debut coming up, people are starting to get curious. What should we expect from Charlie Haines? Any special moves you'll be bringing to the table, something Tension's never seen before?"

She leaned in with a devilish grin. "It's okay, you can tell me. The secret's are safe."

Oh boy, divulging match information wasn't something Charlie wanted to do. He wasn't as physically gifted as..... 99% of the roster. Most of his success came from doing things his opponents didn't expect. "I just try to keep light on my feet and hopefully pull off a few high flying moves that people aren't overly familiar with. If I think I can pull something off, I go for it plain and simple." Charlie said before asking a question of his own. It was an innocent enough question... but if he could snag an answer it'd give him a chance to prepare for his match.

"You seem like someone in the know... you haven't caught wind of who I'm fighting or anything did you?"

Patty had absolutely no idea who he was fighting. "Maybe I do!" She gave him a wry little knowing smile, not letting on the least bit that she had jack-all of a clue who he'd be up against. And it wasn't for lack of trying, either, but nobody told her anything. People in Japan didn't a good bride when they saw one, damn it. So what if she only had American dollars, money was money! Like it would kill them to get it converted.

"But I can't divulge my insider information for just anybody - what would you be willing to trade, hm?" She hopped about on her heels and tapped the mic off his chest. "Anything an intrepid, aspiring reporter like moi would be interested in?"

Well shit. Charlie had no idea what he could trade. He didn't have the inside story on... well anything. "I wish there was something, but I got nothing." Charlie said with a sigh. "Ya can't blame me for trying though can you?"

Even though knowledge of his opponent would have been great, right now simply getting back in the ring was good enough. Charlie was so close to an actual match that he could taste it. Hell maybe he'd actually have a fan or two there because of the interview? Back home, people had to see him and the aerial display before they turned into fans. Maybe that wasn't the case in Japan?

And an expert save by Patty. She called his bluff, and Charlie was found wanting. Maybe she could look into wrestling just a little bit - clearly, she had the wits to win, all she lacked was the body. A lot of guys on the Tension roster were pushovers, anyway. A little basic training and she could win a few fights, and it would be great fodder for the show. Maybe a side segment: 'Patty Storms the Ring!' Just a little something to remind the hardcore aficionados that she was more than a pretty face. She was willing to get her hands dirty, to go on site when duty called. A reporter, a real reporter, went where the story went, whether that was a battlezone or the middle of a wrestling ring.

...got a little sidetracked, there.

Patty came out of her stupor and turned back to Charlie, giving him an elbow while she played off his sigh. "Nice try, Charlie. Nice try. Now, before we wrap up, is there anything you'd like to say to your future fanbase? This is your first impression, have to make it count."

"The only thing I can really promise is that I'm doing my best to come back strong and put on a good show. We can't have fans getting bored now can we?" Charlie said, not able to think of much else to say. He didn't want to come across as cocky, and he didn't want to sell a lie about himself. Simple and honest seemed to be the best way to go with it.

Charlie waited for Patty to do her thing and once the camera was off he figured he'd make some small talk. A good media relation didn't hurt to have, and she seemed to be well meaning enough, if a bit hyper. "So Patty how long have ya been in Japan?"