Post by The Nihilists on May 2, 2019 14:21:56 GMT -5
~Fade in ... The camera is pointing up at the sky as the sun sets on the horizon. The sky is illuminated in deep red and orange. A few clouds dot the sky with a silver hue in the dying embers of the day. The camera slowly pans down and starts walking. It turns a corner and ends up behind a man walking slowly down the streets of Bethesda, Ohio. The street is lined with old architecture, some residences and some businesses. The camera gets close enough to hear the man as he slowly trudges down the road. His black mask a dull shadow on the red skyline but the white and gold highlights irradiating a reflected light in the twilit haze.~
"What is it that drives the people here? This town is a mostly nondescript old timey place. Large on historical appearances but small on history. Exuding small town charm but suffocating under the weight of big state problems. What moves these people to go about their days? I would imagine a variety of things serve as the driving force for these denizens of the dark. But I have to wonder to myself ... and I suppose opine to you people watching at home ... how many of them are driven by belief? How many wake up and put on their socks and shoes to toil in this slice of Americana because they believe in something more? Something they will never experience in their walking days? If percentages are to be believed that number would be in the range of 70 to 85 percent give or take the demographics of a town. Honestly I couldn't be bothered to go look it up, I've been focused more on what drives my opponents and how to peter out that drive ... but I digress ... That is the percentage of people who espouse to believe, with at least SOME level of conviction, in some religion."
~He pauses and looks up at the sky as if staring into the great abyss beyond the skyline~
"Now how many of those people ... make it the main driving force in their lives? That number is much smaller. And for the 65 or so percent of people who believe but don't use that belief as their core and center ... this is perfectly fine. A way to hide the insecurities or perhaps a way to fill gaps in their knowledge. Honestly it's a fine thing to be in possession of. A belief when centered on true faith and used in conjunction with a well-rounded worldview is a powerful thing. But ... that other 5 to 20 percent ... the ones who cannot act without it being some kind of ceremony. The ones who justify their every deed, good bad or indifferent, as something outside of their own will ... it is truly a sad state to be in. For they delude themselves. They see images of glory and believe that no matter what acts they commit they are the ordained ... and that is where the danger lies. It is a path I could never walk. I am one of that other 15 to 30 percent. One who cannot center that belief around a worldview and rather than skew and distort the world to fit a narrow set of rules and ideals, I chose to avoid being one of that 5 to 20 percent. I could not bear to walk around with no purpose. I could not bear to be the type of being who just meanders through life, doing little more than existing, either making no impact or bringing down others around them. No I needed to be responsible for my own actions, take the fault when I mess up, feel the glory when I succeed. Because making someone's life better should be its own reward. I do not expect to be showered with accolades or glory or obtain some extraexistential gift because I had the common courtesy to treat the world and its inhabitants with a modicum of respect. And so I walk this path ... the one that leads to nothingness. Knowing that the void is no reward, no punishment ... just the end game. And so I seek to spread this gift, this eye opening experience, to others. SO they too may come to respect THIS life and THIS world. Because that is where we are NOW."
~He begins to walk again as the camera follows. Gebin is clearly the more linguistically gifted of the Nihilists. His voice is a louder, more pronounced one. He speaks with conviction, in himself and his ideals. As the camera follows it slowly fades ...
and we fade back in on the more strategically gifted, soft-spoken teammate. Esmur is sitting on a bench next to a training ring.~
"You didn't pay attention. You didn't understand."
~Similar to Gebin, his voice never raises, never betrays his inner emotion. In both televised promos we have seen these two monotone and emotionless. Showing conviction and enthusiasm without showing anger, joy, sadness, or excitement. They are committed to their goals and to each other. And their temperament has been honed to a fine shining example. There is no malice in his voice as he addresses his foes~
"That is ok, we don't expect it to be an easy lesson. The philosophy that drives us is not an easy one to follow or to use. But as practitioners of the craft we are up to the task at hand. I apologize ... we were not as clear as we could have been. This was never meant to be an attack on you Kira, on you Frank. It is a learning experience. We are merely your humble teachers and guides trying to set the wayward souls on a path to usefulness. For clouded as your minds are, you are not going to make any impact on this world. No it is a difficult lesson to learn but one I think you will find enriching in practice. But only if you listen ... carefully ... and open your eyes. Clarity comes with time, effort, struggle, and realization. And the first thing to master to gain this focus, this power, this freedom ... ... is to know yourself. So I will ask the same question I asked previouly. Who ... are you? Who ... is the main question here and for some reason the two of you came away with a superficial response. You didn't answer the proper question. Kira ... you did a fine job explaining ... WHAT are you. But that will not get you anywhere. Any fool can look in a mirror and describe the things they see with their eyes and the things they do each day. But that is not the mission I gave you. I don't care what you are and neither should you."
~He stands and sprints to the ring sliding under the ropes. He leaps to the middle turnbuckle~
"I am a wrestler, I am a technician, I am a flier, I am ... MORE than that at heart. Look at what I am ... you can clearly see that can you not? Now look at WHO I am ... that is not so simple. And not because I wear a mask. That is a different matter. The face underneath this would not be familiar to you so whether I wear a mask, a bag on my head, a Caesarian olive wreath, a blonde wig, or my bare face would ALL be the same. You would still simply see this man in front of you. This man you don't know. This wrestler, this luchador, this tactician. But you would not see WHO I am. Dig deeper, let your mind flow free. Look into the void and let the abyss speak to you. Tread lightly, this is a task that can break weaker men. But I think you are both up to the challenge ... or perhaps not ... But to truly know yourself you have to go deeper. Break through these surface level niceties and chip away at the walls we all put up to shape the WHAT people see when they look at us. The WHO we are ... lies within that. Who am I? Well ... time will tell that. Over the course of our time here I'm sure you will learn who we really are, what types of men we are, and why we rightfully believe in nothing, expect nothing, ask for nothing ... only work to take what is necessary and free our own minds."
~He leaps down and stands center of the ring leaning on the ropes that the camera faces, arms crossed~
"But let me not dawdle, brevity is something I think we all can appreciate. So let me instead continue to the crux of the matter. Knowledge ... is not the only form of power Kira. I do not need to know what you have been through. I do not need to know your history. It doesn't inform you in the ring and it is something you will need to let go of to be freed. These are things that simply do not matter ... not for your own enlightenment and not for your in ring competition. Or maybe it is salvation you desire. I'm afraid that is a service we do not offer, and nor does any other being. I'm afraid we are left alone on this dustball to run our rat races and unless you can get in tune with yourself ... you will not be at your true potential, and you will not stand up to our efficient assaults in the ring. Silence the doubts, silence the need to please ... or disgust ... the huddled masses that observe us parlaying our skills into monetary gain. But I think you have taken your issues too far. Trust is a hard thing to earn and a hard thing to give. And I know it may seem prudent to not trust anyone ... but if you cannot find SOMETHING to trust, someone who shares your goals and who can help you see the flaws in yourself ... how can you ever truly trust yourself? With no voice you are willing to believe, who has EARNED that trust of yours, you have no input to where you have stalled, to where you can better yourself. Improvement cannot come without first isolating the problem and like it or not we humans are a flawed and biased species who put too much faith in our outer appearances and blind ourselves to areas we need to work on. A trusted voice will boost you when you are in the right yes ... but they will also be wise enough to help you improve and knock you down when you are rising out of control. Tapping the brakes every now and again is how you maintain control and a person who trusts nobody is an out of control speed demon, white knuckles tight on the wheel, who cannot see the bridge in front of him is out."
~He leaps from the ring~
"But you introduced a good word. Worth. What is a man worth? And what does he need to be worthy of? Right now I am not worth much to you. You do not know me and I have yet to prove anything in this AWF landscape other than that Gebin and I are a pair of voices worth listening to. But ... you do not seem to understand your own worth. For someone who trusts nobody I find it odd you need to prove your worth to anyone. For what good is that? Perhaps it is because you do not feel yourself worthy? Perhaps some of our words did seep in. After all ... as a former champion why should you need to prove anything unless you understand that we were right? That you must continue to strive and become better. You need to explore those feelings, learn what true worthlessness is! Only once you see what little value your past attachments have can you move beyond and live in the now. Only then can you understand the glory of nothingness. No weight bearing down on your shoulders, no living up to anybody else's standards. True ... freedom."
~He leans his head back as we fade out ...
... and back in on Gebin walking a street, the light now faded. The only light from the sporadic streetlamps and the glow off the highlights of his outfit.~
"Frank ... you didn't get the message. You haven't shown you are willing to rely on anyone and in fact ... all you proved to me is that you can't even rely on yourself. Your mind is broken my good sir. You are a fractured psyche and one I am not sure can or should be put back together. I cannot fathom the depths of the trauma you must have experienced to completely disassociate yourself from who you are. But it is a shame. Because this thing, this creature, you have become ... cannot stand up to the targeted combined assault the Nihilists will bring to the ring. I thought going in you, as a standing champion, would be the challenge ... but I can see your heart isn't in the right place, it isn't ready for this. I will not be foolish enough to underestimate your in ring skills but it is clear you are sick, and fading. But ... I suppose I can humor you a bit. After all I thought I would be mining this match for some deep insights and a look into what this federation can throw at us, but alas you are just a hollow husk of a former man. So let me answer your tedious questions."
~He stops under a street lamp, the shadows of the trees dance as a breeze blows them to and fro. The darkness ... the black void ... clearly his ally as his black outfit dissolves into the background and the highlights become one with the light.~
"Why do we wear masks? A simple query really but one with a not so simple answer I'm afraid. Beauty you see is in the eye of the beholder so whether I am ... "ugry" ... I cannot judge, it is not something I concern myself with. No the true reason is that the face beneath this mask doesn't matter. It is simply another piece of the whole being that I am and frankly is not one that is really all that telling,. My actions speak louder to tell you who I am. My voice is the only tool I need. To get the best focus out of those we want to teach ... we need to take away the distractions and use these masks as tools to ply our trade. It is no secret that in the world of wrestling masks hold special importance. Not to hide the identity ... but to scream it out from the rooftops. Masks are the way we personify ourselves and simplify the message we want to drive home. These masks do not hide anything about us. We are an open book through our words. If you listen you will discover the type of men we are. Like Esmur said ... it is not as if you would recognize us anyhow. You don't know us. We've never seen you before either. All our information we used to, quite accurately I must say, figure out about you was public through the very network I now come to you on."
~He steps out of the light and towards the camera~
"As for America ... I don't find the concept of nation states to be that repulsive or that beneficial. They are a thing that is, no more and no less. Then again with as close as this country is tiptoeing to causing complete annihilation ... maybe I do hold a fondness for this country and its inevitable march to the void. Though perhaps we can hasten your trip there. I'm sure you will find it fascinating ... if not a little painful ... I find the rest of these questions tedious ... so I suppose I will just let your red white and blue show itself in the ring. I do hope you will find this match to be enlightening, the both of you. Until we meet in the ring, embrace eternity ..."
~He backs away through the street light and as he passes out of the light behind it we lose sight of him and the camera slowly fades out on a panning shot of Bethesda at night.~
"What is it that drives the people here? This town is a mostly nondescript old timey place. Large on historical appearances but small on history. Exuding small town charm but suffocating under the weight of big state problems. What moves these people to go about their days? I would imagine a variety of things serve as the driving force for these denizens of the dark. But I have to wonder to myself ... and I suppose opine to you people watching at home ... how many of them are driven by belief? How many wake up and put on their socks and shoes to toil in this slice of Americana because they believe in something more? Something they will never experience in their walking days? If percentages are to be believed that number would be in the range of 70 to 85 percent give or take the demographics of a town. Honestly I couldn't be bothered to go look it up, I've been focused more on what drives my opponents and how to peter out that drive ... but I digress ... That is the percentage of people who espouse to believe, with at least SOME level of conviction, in some religion."
~He pauses and looks up at the sky as if staring into the great abyss beyond the skyline~
"Now how many of those people ... make it the main driving force in their lives? That number is much smaller. And for the 65 or so percent of people who believe but don't use that belief as their core and center ... this is perfectly fine. A way to hide the insecurities or perhaps a way to fill gaps in their knowledge. Honestly it's a fine thing to be in possession of. A belief when centered on true faith and used in conjunction with a well-rounded worldview is a powerful thing. But ... that other 5 to 20 percent ... the ones who cannot act without it being some kind of ceremony. The ones who justify their every deed, good bad or indifferent, as something outside of their own will ... it is truly a sad state to be in. For they delude themselves. They see images of glory and believe that no matter what acts they commit they are the ordained ... and that is where the danger lies. It is a path I could never walk. I am one of that other 15 to 30 percent. One who cannot center that belief around a worldview and rather than skew and distort the world to fit a narrow set of rules and ideals, I chose to avoid being one of that 5 to 20 percent. I could not bear to walk around with no purpose. I could not bear to be the type of being who just meanders through life, doing little more than existing, either making no impact or bringing down others around them. No I needed to be responsible for my own actions, take the fault when I mess up, feel the glory when I succeed. Because making someone's life better should be its own reward. I do not expect to be showered with accolades or glory or obtain some extraexistential gift because I had the common courtesy to treat the world and its inhabitants with a modicum of respect. And so I walk this path ... the one that leads to nothingness. Knowing that the void is no reward, no punishment ... just the end game. And so I seek to spread this gift, this eye opening experience, to others. SO they too may come to respect THIS life and THIS world. Because that is where we are NOW."
~He begins to walk again as the camera follows. Gebin is clearly the more linguistically gifted of the Nihilists. His voice is a louder, more pronounced one. He speaks with conviction, in himself and his ideals. As the camera follows it slowly fades ...
and we fade back in on the more strategically gifted, soft-spoken teammate. Esmur is sitting on a bench next to a training ring.~
"You didn't pay attention. You didn't understand."
~Similar to Gebin, his voice never raises, never betrays his inner emotion. In both televised promos we have seen these two monotone and emotionless. Showing conviction and enthusiasm without showing anger, joy, sadness, or excitement. They are committed to their goals and to each other. And their temperament has been honed to a fine shining example. There is no malice in his voice as he addresses his foes~
"That is ok, we don't expect it to be an easy lesson. The philosophy that drives us is not an easy one to follow or to use. But as practitioners of the craft we are up to the task at hand. I apologize ... we were not as clear as we could have been. This was never meant to be an attack on you Kira, on you Frank. It is a learning experience. We are merely your humble teachers and guides trying to set the wayward souls on a path to usefulness. For clouded as your minds are, you are not going to make any impact on this world. No it is a difficult lesson to learn but one I think you will find enriching in practice. But only if you listen ... carefully ... and open your eyes. Clarity comes with time, effort, struggle, and realization. And the first thing to master to gain this focus, this power, this freedom ... ... is to know yourself. So I will ask the same question I asked previouly. Who ... are you? Who ... is the main question here and for some reason the two of you came away with a superficial response. You didn't answer the proper question. Kira ... you did a fine job explaining ... WHAT are you. But that will not get you anywhere. Any fool can look in a mirror and describe the things they see with their eyes and the things they do each day. But that is not the mission I gave you. I don't care what you are and neither should you."
~He stands and sprints to the ring sliding under the ropes. He leaps to the middle turnbuckle~
"I am a wrestler, I am a technician, I am a flier, I am ... MORE than that at heart. Look at what I am ... you can clearly see that can you not? Now look at WHO I am ... that is not so simple. And not because I wear a mask. That is a different matter. The face underneath this would not be familiar to you so whether I wear a mask, a bag on my head, a Caesarian olive wreath, a blonde wig, or my bare face would ALL be the same. You would still simply see this man in front of you. This man you don't know. This wrestler, this luchador, this tactician. But you would not see WHO I am. Dig deeper, let your mind flow free. Look into the void and let the abyss speak to you. Tread lightly, this is a task that can break weaker men. But I think you are both up to the challenge ... or perhaps not ... But to truly know yourself you have to go deeper. Break through these surface level niceties and chip away at the walls we all put up to shape the WHAT people see when they look at us. The WHO we are ... lies within that. Who am I? Well ... time will tell that. Over the course of our time here I'm sure you will learn who we really are, what types of men we are, and why we rightfully believe in nothing, expect nothing, ask for nothing ... only work to take what is necessary and free our own minds."
~He leaps down and stands center of the ring leaning on the ropes that the camera faces, arms crossed~
"But let me not dawdle, brevity is something I think we all can appreciate. So let me instead continue to the crux of the matter. Knowledge ... is not the only form of power Kira. I do not need to know what you have been through. I do not need to know your history. It doesn't inform you in the ring and it is something you will need to let go of to be freed. These are things that simply do not matter ... not for your own enlightenment and not for your in ring competition. Or maybe it is salvation you desire. I'm afraid that is a service we do not offer, and nor does any other being. I'm afraid we are left alone on this dustball to run our rat races and unless you can get in tune with yourself ... you will not be at your true potential, and you will not stand up to our efficient assaults in the ring. Silence the doubts, silence the need to please ... or disgust ... the huddled masses that observe us parlaying our skills into monetary gain. But I think you have taken your issues too far. Trust is a hard thing to earn and a hard thing to give. And I know it may seem prudent to not trust anyone ... but if you cannot find SOMETHING to trust, someone who shares your goals and who can help you see the flaws in yourself ... how can you ever truly trust yourself? With no voice you are willing to believe, who has EARNED that trust of yours, you have no input to where you have stalled, to where you can better yourself. Improvement cannot come without first isolating the problem and like it or not we humans are a flawed and biased species who put too much faith in our outer appearances and blind ourselves to areas we need to work on. A trusted voice will boost you when you are in the right yes ... but they will also be wise enough to help you improve and knock you down when you are rising out of control. Tapping the brakes every now and again is how you maintain control and a person who trusts nobody is an out of control speed demon, white knuckles tight on the wheel, who cannot see the bridge in front of him is out."
~He leaps from the ring~
"But you introduced a good word. Worth. What is a man worth? And what does he need to be worthy of? Right now I am not worth much to you. You do not know me and I have yet to prove anything in this AWF landscape other than that Gebin and I are a pair of voices worth listening to. But ... you do not seem to understand your own worth. For someone who trusts nobody I find it odd you need to prove your worth to anyone. For what good is that? Perhaps it is because you do not feel yourself worthy? Perhaps some of our words did seep in. After all ... as a former champion why should you need to prove anything unless you understand that we were right? That you must continue to strive and become better. You need to explore those feelings, learn what true worthlessness is! Only once you see what little value your past attachments have can you move beyond and live in the now. Only then can you understand the glory of nothingness. No weight bearing down on your shoulders, no living up to anybody else's standards. True ... freedom."
~He leans his head back as we fade out ...
... and back in on Gebin walking a street, the light now faded. The only light from the sporadic streetlamps and the glow off the highlights of his outfit.~
"Frank ... you didn't get the message. You haven't shown you are willing to rely on anyone and in fact ... all you proved to me is that you can't even rely on yourself. Your mind is broken my good sir. You are a fractured psyche and one I am not sure can or should be put back together. I cannot fathom the depths of the trauma you must have experienced to completely disassociate yourself from who you are. But it is a shame. Because this thing, this creature, you have become ... cannot stand up to the targeted combined assault the Nihilists will bring to the ring. I thought going in you, as a standing champion, would be the challenge ... but I can see your heart isn't in the right place, it isn't ready for this. I will not be foolish enough to underestimate your in ring skills but it is clear you are sick, and fading. But ... I suppose I can humor you a bit. After all I thought I would be mining this match for some deep insights and a look into what this federation can throw at us, but alas you are just a hollow husk of a former man. So let me answer your tedious questions."
~He stops under a street lamp, the shadows of the trees dance as a breeze blows them to and fro. The darkness ... the black void ... clearly his ally as his black outfit dissolves into the background and the highlights become one with the light.~
"Why do we wear masks? A simple query really but one with a not so simple answer I'm afraid. Beauty you see is in the eye of the beholder so whether I am ... "ugry" ... I cannot judge, it is not something I concern myself with. No the true reason is that the face beneath this mask doesn't matter. It is simply another piece of the whole being that I am and frankly is not one that is really all that telling,. My actions speak louder to tell you who I am. My voice is the only tool I need. To get the best focus out of those we want to teach ... we need to take away the distractions and use these masks as tools to ply our trade. It is no secret that in the world of wrestling masks hold special importance. Not to hide the identity ... but to scream it out from the rooftops. Masks are the way we personify ourselves and simplify the message we want to drive home. These masks do not hide anything about us. We are an open book through our words. If you listen you will discover the type of men we are. Like Esmur said ... it is not as if you would recognize us anyhow. You don't know us. We've never seen you before either. All our information we used to, quite accurately I must say, figure out about you was public through the very network I now come to you on."
~He steps out of the light and towards the camera~
"As for America ... I don't find the concept of nation states to be that repulsive or that beneficial. They are a thing that is, no more and no less. Then again with as close as this country is tiptoeing to causing complete annihilation ... maybe I do hold a fondness for this country and its inevitable march to the void. Though perhaps we can hasten your trip there. I'm sure you will find it fascinating ... if not a little painful ... I find the rest of these questions tedious ... so I suppose I will just let your red white and blue show itself in the ring. I do hope you will find this match to be enlightening, the both of you. Until we meet in the ring, embrace eternity ..."
~He backs away through the street light and as he passes out of the light behind it we lose sight of him and the camera slowly fades out on a panning shot of Bethesda at night.~