Post by The Nihilists on May 2, 2019 14:47:58 GMT -5
~The XHF Network transmission flickers to static and we fade in at a Planet Hollywood. Those still exist right? We quickly zoom in through some prerecorded and sped up footage of the camera walking around the restaurant getting a good look at the memorabilia. We roll past some props from John Wayne movies and over to an image of Clint Eastwood from the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. A prop gun and some cowboy boots are glimpsed. We roll past images from the TV Show 24. Kiefer Sutherland is firing off his weapon in six stills taken from the production. We zoom past a clip of the final action scenes from Die Hard. Now we quick cut over to animation stills from 101 Dalmatians of Cruella De Vil wearing a fur coat. Next we see the same actual coat worn by Glenn Close in the live action film. We roll past a TV playing a clip from A Few Good Men, “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” And finally we walk past some behind the scenes photos from The Departed. The camera now slows as we approach the dining room. There sitting at a table eating the last of their burgers are the Nihilists.~
”The food and the atmosphere here are so far and away superior to that steakhouse. I appreciate the trivia and memorabilia you can find here while you eat. Seems a shame to just get a burger though.”
”It’s a classic for a reason. People want burgers, and they love to love and love to hate them. Though I will say the adornments on the hallways have brought up something to my mind. It doesn’t shine poorly on us that food has been used to bring me revelations does it?”
”You can’t fight inspiration. Take it where it comes.”
”Please don’t talk with your mouth full. I want to enjoy my food not wear yours. But the point is taken. And it’s not like we don’t have the credibility by this point to have the audience follow our trains of thought and flights of fancy. We are now four matches into our AWF careers and yet to experience a defeat. I must admit I knew we had the ability but I am not going to downplay the shockingness of this immediate success. It shows the people watching that we are to be taken seriously no matter where our monologues may come forth from. And I’d like to think maybe some others are beginning to notice. I do believe I heard your name mentioned in positive tones in another AWF promotional video placed on the network for the previous show.”
”Things to think about Gebin. But I know where you intend to go with this discussion. It is all too apparent by our opponents and the adornments on the walls that this is about obsession. An American obsession at that … with killers. The media here shows that we are unable to keep them off of our lips. We glorify them. When was the last time that a person committed a horrible act of malice and violence and you didn’t hear their names and creeds on every news station? Discussing possible reasons for why they did what they did. Discussing whether they EVEN ACTUALLY DID what they did. Not going to lie that one puzzles me. How you can see with your own eyes an event actually happen and not believe it is just … an entirely new level of ignorance … no you know I don’t want this to veer off track. I am not trying to get political I am trying to make a point. We take the purveyors of tragedy, the dealers of heartbreak, and we put them name and face on every major media station. We turn them into stars. It spawns a vicious cycle of copycats and follow-ons. People who want fame and attention by any means necessary. And why wouldn’t they follow on? These confirmed killers have people defending them as heroes, saying they were in the right, entire media corporations backing them to use the event as a way to influence the minds of their impressionable listeners.”
”It is interesting you came to the same idea but a vastly different conclusion. We certainly do have an issue at giving attention to these killers but I hardly think we only give them positive praise. We take great delight in seeing them brought to justice, to see the stories as proof that the system works in the end. Despite any backing and praise these recent killers have gotten they have still faced the music in the end. By their own hand, the police, or the justice system. We take great pride in taking down these people. It is a source of great amusement to some to enact campaigns to punish not just the criminal, but those who blindly follow. Whether it be protests, or laughing when someone is banned for twitter, or suing them to stop the glorification of criminals through twisted words.”
”Well let’s take a look at the memorabilia this restaurant has. Look at the Western movie genre. A classic, a genre that is looked back on fondly and that we try to recreate in today’s video games. Truly a tale of good and evil. How many times did we see John Wayne or Clint Eastwood ride in on a horse and save the damsel or the town? The standoff at high noon is so ingrained in our collective psyche that it ekes its way into other genres and media styles. Indiana Jones ripped off a version of the standoff and it became one of the most remembered scenes in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Cowboys versus Indians is a game every kid plays and the cowboys are generally regarded as the heroes. But what do all of those heroes have in common? They are quick to the draw and the villains or enemies are dealt a swift blow of justice and make an instant trip to the mortuary. These men are hardened killers, seemingly above the law and praised for being as such. It is a harmful story to tell when the moral is be quicker and tougher than your enemy, shoot first ask questions if anyone still moves afterwards. Then there is John McClain. It would be very hard to say he isn’t considered so beloved and such a badass just because he is a cold blooded killer. And what punishment befell him for his acts of vigilante justice? For injuring loads of people in the hotel?”
”A job in AXW?”
”That doesn’t count.”
”Be that as it may we still have to acknowledge that there are plenty of other killers in popular media who are viewed as pure evil. There have been two different movies chronicling the life and evil of Whitey Bulger, and though they certainly dramatize everything, they make clear that he is a bad man and one not to be emulated or empathized with. He is painted as a criminal through and through. Cruella De Vil is painted as a psychopath who kills animals for clothing. Note that this is something humans already do, but somehow she is painted as the villain. And then there is A Few Good Men, where a murder smears everyone involved. It would seem as though the fascination isn’t with extolling the virtues OR punishing the crimes of the killer. It seems we just have a morbid obsession with killing.”
”To the point where killer isn’t even considered an insult unless you are on trial. People use it as a term of endearment in sports. ‘Go get’em killer!’ So it seems the term escapes the usual issues around good and bad. It’s circumstantial. So then in terms of our opponents … what context can we give? Well it is clear they are not ACTUAL killers. Though there may be a few in AWF. Has anyone seen Hyperion lately? These are just two men trying to sound more powerful and intimidating than they actually are. It’s a moniker they use as a nickname for themselves and nothing more.”
”Bodes well for us stepping in the ring with them. They seem decent fellows, I’d hate to die. We are not in that same conversation. You see for some reason we have this reputation now as dark people. They see us as evil, as some kind of untrustworthy demonic beasts. And that comes from misunderstanding and our own success. People always paint those they resent and envy as evil. It allows them to strip away the standing and feel superior to those who are clearly their betters. But we are not out to harm anyone. We don’t tell you all we are going to ‘send you to the void!’ We extoll the virtues of our belief system and that is it. We never ran down a man with a car because a man with a sledgehammer told us to. We do not want to speed up anyone’s journey to the nothingness, we simply want people to think critically and see the truth for what it is. There is always this lingering fear around death and honestly we believe it is partially what drives some of the superstition. The thought of nonexistence is too dark and too dense for a normal mind to comprehend, never mind accepting it. And it makes it a lot easier to humanize killers when you think their good victims are now in some paradise and happy, and their evil victims simply got what they deserved. It allows you to strip away some of the malice and darkness of the action and make it consumable … and marketable. Whereas there is no easy way to sugar coat someone who challenges your beliefs and tells you there is nothing afterwards and you wishing hell on a person might just make you a bad person. So to put a concept to bed, no we do not consider ourselves killers. And no we do not buy into the hype. And the New Age Killers are just another group trying to market themselves in a way that will make them profitable and maybe give them a mental edge in the ring. But as you’ve seen so far, nothing fazes us in the ring. We are unflappable.”
”We may not be killers but we do have something it would seem at least half of our foes don’t. Killer Instinct. That knowledge of when to strike and how to properly finish a match. Four times now we have shown that we can be on top the whole match or come from behind, it takes just that one opening to strike and end it all. We have a knack for finding that opening and putting down champions for the three count. And lest you not forget I have still yet to sink my submission skills into anyone. To borrow that killer terminology, we keep the ammo in the chamber. We use what is needed when it is needed and forego all the fuss and bluster. Maverick on the other hand has shown time and again to be unable to finish off his opponents. He can certainly damage a man and control a match but he seems to have a hard time putting down the enemy. That killer instinct just isn’t there. And that will come back to bite his team. As for his partner, well it took this long to become a champion. But he is a champion. And he fashions himself some kind of anti-God. Now whether that is a Thanos reference or some kind of moniker implying he is so good he can punish the Gods themselves I don’t know but it certainly is marketable wouldn’t you say?”
”The fact remains that it doesn’t matter if you have a title. It doesn’t matter if you and your partner are good teammates. It doesn’t matter if you want to be known as killers in name or in deed. What matters is the cold hard facts and the facts say that the Nihilists are undefeated in the ring and we intend to stay that way. You may be killers, but that name only strikes fear into those who fear death. We have been through too much to see you as such. And no anti-God or icon is going to reinstill that fear in us. When we step into the ring with you it will be all about teamwork and skill. And who desires that win more. And it’s as we said, we will make ourselves the top contenders in the tag division and run through whoever we have to in our path to the top. It is necessity for us to continue to win. And so we shall. After all … we possess that killer instinct, and killer instinct trumps a killer name every day of the week. We’ll let the audience decide if you get treated like a John McClain or a Cruella De Vil.”
~The men turn back to their food as the camera exits the building and fades to static on an image of the Planet Hollywood logo.~
”The food and the atmosphere here are so far and away superior to that steakhouse. I appreciate the trivia and memorabilia you can find here while you eat. Seems a shame to just get a burger though.”
”It’s a classic for a reason. People want burgers, and they love to love and love to hate them. Though I will say the adornments on the hallways have brought up something to my mind. It doesn’t shine poorly on us that food has been used to bring me revelations does it?”
”You can’t fight inspiration. Take it where it comes.”
”Please don’t talk with your mouth full. I want to enjoy my food not wear yours. But the point is taken. And it’s not like we don’t have the credibility by this point to have the audience follow our trains of thought and flights of fancy. We are now four matches into our AWF careers and yet to experience a defeat. I must admit I knew we had the ability but I am not going to downplay the shockingness of this immediate success. It shows the people watching that we are to be taken seriously no matter where our monologues may come forth from. And I’d like to think maybe some others are beginning to notice. I do believe I heard your name mentioned in positive tones in another AWF promotional video placed on the network for the previous show.”
”Things to think about Gebin. But I know where you intend to go with this discussion. It is all too apparent by our opponents and the adornments on the walls that this is about obsession. An American obsession at that … with killers. The media here shows that we are unable to keep them off of our lips. We glorify them. When was the last time that a person committed a horrible act of malice and violence and you didn’t hear their names and creeds on every news station? Discussing possible reasons for why they did what they did. Discussing whether they EVEN ACTUALLY DID what they did. Not going to lie that one puzzles me. How you can see with your own eyes an event actually happen and not believe it is just … an entirely new level of ignorance … no you know I don’t want this to veer off track. I am not trying to get political I am trying to make a point. We take the purveyors of tragedy, the dealers of heartbreak, and we put them name and face on every major media station. We turn them into stars. It spawns a vicious cycle of copycats and follow-ons. People who want fame and attention by any means necessary. And why wouldn’t they follow on? These confirmed killers have people defending them as heroes, saying they were in the right, entire media corporations backing them to use the event as a way to influence the minds of their impressionable listeners.”
”It is interesting you came to the same idea but a vastly different conclusion. We certainly do have an issue at giving attention to these killers but I hardly think we only give them positive praise. We take great delight in seeing them brought to justice, to see the stories as proof that the system works in the end. Despite any backing and praise these recent killers have gotten they have still faced the music in the end. By their own hand, the police, or the justice system. We take great pride in taking down these people. It is a source of great amusement to some to enact campaigns to punish not just the criminal, but those who blindly follow. Whether it be protests, or laughing when someone is banned for twitter, or suing them to stop the glorification of criminals through twisted words.”
”Well let’s take a look at the memorabilia this restaurant has. Look at the Western movie genre. A classic, a genre that is looked back on fondly and that we try to recreate in today’s video games. Truly a tale of good and evil. How many times did we see John Wayne or Clint Eastwood ride in on a horse and save the damsel or the town? The standoff at high noon is so ingrained in our collective psyche that it ekes its way into other genres and media styles. Indiana Jones ripped off a version of the standoff and it became one of the most remembered scenes in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Cowboys versus Indians is a game every kid plays and the cowboys are generally regarded as the heroes. But what do all of those heroes have in common? They are quick to the draw and the villains or enemies are dealt a swift blow of justice and make an instant trip to the mortuary. These men are hardened killers, seemingly above the law and praised for being as such. It is a harmful story to tell when the moral is be quicker and tougher than your enemy, shoot first ask questions if anyone still moves afterwards. Then there is John McClain. It would be very hard to say he isn’t considered so beloved and such a badass just because he is a cold blooded killer. And what punishment befell him for his acts of vigilante justice? For injuring loads of people in the hotel?”
”A job in AXW?”
”That doesn’t count.”
”Be that as it may we still have to acknowledge that there are plenty of other killers in popular media who are viewed as pure evil. There have been two different movies chronicling the life and evil of Whitey Bulger, and though they certainly dramatize everything, they make clear that he is a bad man and one not to be emulated or empathized with. He is painted as a criminal through and through. Cruella De Vil is painted as a psychopath who kills animals for clothing. Note that this is something humans already do, but somehow she is painted as the villain. And then there is A Few Good Men, where a murder smears everyone involved. It would seem as though the fascination isn’t with extolling the virtues OR punishing the crimes of the killer. It seems we just have a morbid obsession with killing.”
”To the point where killer isn’t even considered an insult unless you are on trial. People use it as a term of endearment in sports. ‘Go get’em killer!’ So it seems the term escapes the usual issues around good and bad. It’s circumstantial. So then in terms of our opponents … what context can we give? Well it is clear they are not ACTUAL killers. Though there may be a few in AWF. Has anyone seen Hyperion lately? These are just two men trying to sound more powerful and intimidating than they actually are. It’s a moniker they use as a nickname for themselves and nothing more.”
”Bodes well for us stepping in the ring with them. They seem decent fellows, I’d hate to die. We are not in that same conversation. You see for some reason we have this reputation now as dark people. They see us as evil, as some kind of untrustworthy demonic beasts. And that comes from misunderstanding and our own success. People always paint those they resent and envy as evil. It allows them to strip away the standing and feel superior to those who are clearly their betters. But we are not out to harm anyone. We don’t tell you all we are going to ‘send you to the void!’ We extoll the virtues of our belief system and that is it. We never ran down a man with a car because a man with a sledgehammer told us to. We do not want to speed up anyone’s journey to the nothingness, we simply want people to think critically and see the truth for what it is. There is always this lingering fear around death and honestly we believe it is partially what drives some of the superstition. The thought of nonexistence is too dark and too dense for a normal mind to comprehend, never mind accepting it. And it makes it a lot easier to humanize killers when you think their good victims are now in some paradise and happy, and their evil victims simply got what they deserved. It allows you to strip away some of the malice and darkness of the action and make it consumable … and marketable. Whereas there is no easy way to sugar coat someone who challenges your beliefs and tells you there is nothing afterwards and you wishing hell on a person might just make you a bad person. So to put a concept to bed, no we do not consider ourselves killers. And no we do not buy into the hype. And the New Age Killers are just another group trying to market themselves in a way that will make them profitable and maybe give them a mental edge in the ring. But as you’ve seen so far, nothing fazes us in the ring. We are unflappable.”
”We may not be killers but we do have something it would seem at least half of our foes don’t. Killer Instinct. That knowledge of when to strike and how to properly finish a match. Four times now we have shown that we can be on top the whole match or come from behind, it takes just that one opening to strike and end it all. We have a knack for finding that opening and putting down champions for the three count. And lest you not forget I have still yet to sink my submission skills into anyone. To borrow that killer terminology, we keep the ammo in the chamber. We use what is needed when it is needed and forego all the fuss and bluster. Maverick on the other hand has shown time and again to be unable to finish off his opponents. He can certainly damage a man and control a match but he seems to have a hard time putting down the enemy. That killer instinct just isn’t there. And that will come back to bite his team. As for his partner, well it took this long to become a champion. But he is a champion. And he fashions himself some kind of anti-God. Now whether that is a Thanos reference or some kind of moniker implying he is so good he can punish the Gods themselves I don’t know but it certainly is marketable wouldn’t you say?”
”The fact remains that it doesn’t matter if you have a title. It doesn’t matter if you and your partner are good teammates. It doesn’t matter if you want to be known as killers in name or in deed. What matters is the cold hard facts and the facts say that the Nihilists are undefeated in the ring and we intend to stay that way. You may be killers, but that name only strikes fear into those who fear death. We have been through too much to see you as such. And no anti-God or icon is going to reinstill that fear in us. When we step into the ring with you it will be all about teamwork and skill. And who desires that win more. And it’s as we said, we will make ourselves the top contenders in the tag division and run through whoever we have to in our path to the top. It is necessity for us to continue to win. And so we shall. After all … we possess that killer instinct, and killer instinct trumps a killer name every day of the week. We’ll let the audience decide if you get treated like a John McClain or a Cruella De Vil.”
~The men turn back to their food as the camera exits the building and fades to static on an image of the Planet Hollywood logo.~