Dueling Zone News

Managing Editor: Guy SavageApril 29, 2024

Columns

DoF
DoM
DoS
DoS: Madness
Duel Assassin
Editorial
Hydra Cup
IFL
TDL
TdR
Funnies
Town News


Contributors

Guy Savage
IFL News Network
Jack Smith
Jake Thrash
Jewell Ravenlock
Kalamere
Rhydin Newswire
Sonja Savage



It's Madness!

It's
DoS Madness!




Follow DZN a new way!
DZN RSS feed



Interested in a blast from dueling's past? Check out
DoS Today
in the DZN Archives!



How about another look into the past?
Check out
TDL Insider


IFL
On the Dot - Dirty: Black
Source IFL News Network
By Midnight Eve
October 12, 2015

Near the eastern coast of New Haven there's a cute cafe tucked away from the busier streets and raucous rabble rousers that frequent the burgeoning district. Under one of the strings of lights sat Eve on the patio awaiting her first of many guests. She smoothed the growing wrinkles in her lavender skirt and thought she heard a commotion brewing by the front gate.

Suddenly a wrench fell in her stomach and she stood up, "No! No she's with me let her through!" A couple of well-dressed bouncers reluctantly let go of the first interviewee whom Eve rushed to greet.

"I'm glad you found the place Terry! I already made us reservations." Eve smiled and waved halfway from her seat before turning and pulling out Terry's and reclaiming her own.

"Ayo, you might wanna warn the next person you're gonna interview about this stuff." Terry said with a ticking gesture of her finger; a point of it at each of the bouncers as they left her behind. The newly maid team captain of Dirty: Black fixed her jacket while trying not to scowl a little too much; which is easy to do since Eve's smile caught her attention.

"Thank God for the Rhy'Din Map app, I woulda' missed this place if I hadn't double checked." Terry stepped about her own seat and settled down. Her posture not exactly the best, but she at least made the effort not to slouch too much. "So, ma. How you wanna start?" She'd lift a leg and cross it over another while arms draped over the armrests.

"Maybe your reputation precedes you Ms. King", Eve always wanted to make light on any of the bumps in the road but definitely noted next time a Skybucks might be more appropriate. "I'm glad you could make it, their lattes are amazing." She had been tending to her own pumpkin spiced cup for a little.

"First things first, let's talk about your new team Dirty: Black. This is your first time captaining a team right? What's it like? What are your goals and expectations? Are there big bucks?" Eve laughed a little after that last one. "Okay that might be personal."

"Mocha latte with extra cream." said with a flash of a smile to the waitress who came back. Terry turned her attention back to Eva and responded. "Kinda, but not really. Back durin' the first Hydra Tournament I was kinda' a captain. I was the one who first started the team, though Candy helped when it came to recruitin'." Shifting some in her seat then to sit more straight. "Goals? To win, I mean -- that's the goal of every team. Who really wants to come out an' have fun? The bigger bucks come from winnin' an' that's exactly why I'm doing this. The big bucks. Expectations though, if we're bein' realistic. I can see us makin' it into the top three, but Dirty: Black isn't really a solo team, we're workin' together with Dirty: Pink. So if one of us do well, both of us do well. We're all in it for the same goal -- to make Dirty the top team of the Iron Fist League this year."

"So while you're not exactly a seasoned coach it's fair to say you've had your share of success in the past." She made a little room on the table for her pen and pad and adjusted in her seat folding the right leg in front of the left.

"The announced sister teams between Dirty: Pink and Dirty: Black must have raised a few brows, mine included, can you share any insight? Do you all train in the same gym? Has there been any tension? Most of all", she paused when the Mocha Latte came with the extra cream, "do you think we'll see this design bloom in the rest of the dueling community? Are twin teams the future? Do you foresee any others popping up?"

Terry shook her head. "Nah, I wouldn't say there's been much tension. We're all on the same team, you know? We all got the same goal. There's no us and them, it's a combined effort. Dirty: Black ain't no secondary team." Pausing for a moment to take a drink of her latte. "Rumors I've heard? We'll prolly see another twin team, but I don't think there's gonna be many of them. But, hey, it's a smart idea if anyone wants to try. Better to have two teams gunnin' for the prize under one name instead of one."

"Two halves of one whole!" Eve lit up at the idea and jotted it down with an underline before turning the page.

"Now let's get to the nitty gritty. Tell me some about Dirty: Black. The blueprints; let's start with you Terry. What kind of training have you had, formal, informal etc.? You have left your mark in the Arena, a tenure as Overlord, Battlefield Park currently, Old Market, New Haven, Seaside, Dragon's Gate and you've held the MoonBeryl opal twice. What's the secret to your success? Is it a hard work ethic? Natural talent?"

"I'll admit that compared to my swords records, my Fists ones are a lil' lackluster. I know that having held two Opals might be a big deal to some, but compared to a lot of the other big names in IFL? It really ain't much. But what I've earned has been through my own hard work. Gettin' up early and joggin' before the sun goes up, liftin' weights three times a week and doin' a lot more cardio throughout. When I first came onto the duelin' scene I was already the sporty type since the private school I attended made it mandatory that students join some sort of club that involves physical activity. I started doin' wrestling, which turned more into a private MMA club but -- that was sorta' hush-hush between us girls back then."

"There's many who show up at the duels sportin' natural born talent, but I can assure you I'm one-hundred-percent hard work an' no play.. Except the no play part, I do a lot of that."

"I'd say hard work translates well into any facet of life. I think it would be foolish for anyone to downplay talent even if it's fitting a triangle into a square-shaped hole. So you've got a background in wrestling and some mixed martial arts and refine yourself through hard work." The sound of the paper turning could be heard as she took a sip from the pumpkin latte.

"So let's go down the list shall we? What can you tell me about your co-captain Grace Frigg? Does Dean Reighland have any signature styles? Ahni? Bob? Jojo?" She was going rapid fire and readied her pen.

"Grace -- I snagged from Rock Hards. I saw talent an' went for it. To be honest, I wanted to grab someone else along with her, but I didn't get the chance." Terry grinned some. "Last year Grace used a lot of dance moves while in the ring, so I'd expect to see more of that this year. Bob? It's hard to say, a lil' unorthodox really." Terry relaxed back. "As for Dean, his style is money. I sign his checks an' he throws his fists around. Ahni is.. Well, to be honest, I don't know much about Ahni's style when it comes to fightin' in the fist rings. Claire, our head captain, suggested she join Dirty: Black. So we'll see how she does once the season starts -- but you've probably already looked into her histories as a title holder on Twilight Isle."

Terry took another drink of the latte. "Jojo uses a mix of Taekwondo and Dim Mak. I ain't really so sure how dim mak works, but it might involve pressure points. I'm really lookin' forward to see her moves in action."

Eve finished jotting down each name and the following attributes and sat back and held it out in front of her. "You might be thrown for a curve ball, but I have never thrown a punch in my life. Instead I found it was much easier to watch other people throw punches." She grinned and set the pad down on the table and tapped on the clicky end of the pen a few times while finishing off her latte.

"Dirty: Black led by all-rounder Terry King is a multi-faceted enigma. The experience is visible in the head and shoulders of captain, co-captain and Dean. Bob has a year under his belt, Ahni and Jojo have yet to make their splash. From the outside looking in there is an eclectic breed growing in this fertile soil. You have Olympic Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts from Terry King. You have what I presume is standard Orthodox Boxing from Dean Reighland. Co-Captain Grace Frigg is what I can believe to be a derivative of Capoeira. Bob is shrouded in the unknown. Ahni is another question mark. Jojo from what you've told me is... a rare catch and in Rhy'Din, that is the exclamation mark after the question mark!" She grinned and looked to Terry.

"Do you think that sums it up well?"

"Really? I would've never guessed." Terry leaned in some to set elbows against table. Her hands folding upon one another to make a spot for her to rest her chin against. "But, hey -- leave the bruises to us an' you just sit back an' have fun writing about it, a'ight?"

Brow perked and head gave a small tilt to the side as she listened. While she did like what she heard; that like did not appear on her face. She instead looked neutral about it all, at least until the end. That would be when her lips curled and formed into a grin. "Sounds good, but.. you gotta promise me somethin' though. That I'll be the first to see your article about the team before it goes to press." Pushing from the table then to sit back against the chair fully once more. "Maybe over dinner? "

"That is certainly the plan! The pen is mightier than the sword!" She swung her pen as mightily as she could, which was honestly not mighty in the least bit.

Eve couldn't help but let out some laughter. "Your reputation certainly precedes you after all Ms. King. All work and no play makes a dull captain." She rested her chin on her palm and began turning the pages on her pad until it was shut and set the pen on top.

"After I push it through the editors and all that, sure you can see the first copy." She waved over the bill and handed the waitress a card before pulling out her business card which read: Midnight Eve Ltd. and slid it across the table.

"Maybe. But I'm not your 'ma'." She did the air quotes and all with another laugh as she got up and scooted her chair in, signing the receipt as it came back their way.

"I think this wraps up the first interview of On the Dot with Eve. Thank you very much for coming out and making it possible Terry." She scooped up her Michael Kors bag.

"Care to see me out?"

"Tsk." Came a clicking of her tongue. "A'ight, a'ight, babygirl." Hands up in feigned defeat about the choice usage of `ma`. It had all been in good fun though; as she soon enough laughed and started to rise as well. "Thanks for havin' me, and - oh." Reaching to grab at her half full mocha latte. "Thanks for the drink."

Nodding to the offer of seeing Eva out. She'd gesture for the other woman to take the lead while pushing her own chair back under the table. "Now time for take two, except this time here's hopin' no bouncers get in the way again."

There was nothing but merit to the notion of Terry King's impressive depth when it comes to vernacular flattery.

"It's because you don't dress fake Terry." She smiled, it was a good thing really. As they made their way out they were indeed not harassed by the thugs in suits.

"I suspect it's because of my bag but..." Eve winked to Terry as they went. "It's fake."

This article brought to you by
Red Orc Brewery

Where's YOUR Badsider?

Copyright 2001-2017 Dueling Zone
All rights reserved