Post by Jack Ryan on Nov 6, 2009 17:38:28 GMT -5
{The three still sat at the table, playing cards. Each had several pairs laid before them, but the game was far from over. Tara and Angel stared at Jack, as it was apparently his turn. Several moments pass in silence, then Angel starts drumming his fingers on the table. More silence, then Tara checks her watch.}
"Sometime today, Jack."
{Jack says nothing, only focuses on his cards.}
"Before I'm old enough to collect my pension."
{Again, silence. Angel places his cards on the table, and punches Jack in the upper arm with force.}
"Gah.. fine.. Sevens? Anyone?"
"Go Fish."
"Go Fish."
{Jack takes a card, rubbing his arm with the other hand.}
"Now that the whole business with Head Cat is over, who do you have this week Jackie?"
"Harold Campbell. The other half of that boring bludgeon fest at Supremacy."
"That's an odd coincidence."
"Yeah, almost like it was designed that way."
"Scripted almost.. like a promo.."
{All three turn to the camera a quick glance, to emphasis the irony of that statement. What? You thought promos just happened and there just happened to be a camera around to catch it? How naive.}
"Though I admit my embarassment. I wanted to do some research, but then again.. I can't find it in my soul to give a damn. Take that what you will."
"Hey, they survived falling out of a speeding truck at sixty miles an hour. They gotta be tough."
"I'm sorry, but my logical mind cannot comprehend the impossible. The compound fractures alone would keep them out of action for months. It's almost like the whole thing was staged to look a lot worse than it was."
{Another glance at the camera, sarcastic smirks all around.}
"Hey, Harold was the first No Mercy Champion in XHF. I'd put some thought into that."
"What? You mean that title with the "If I don't win I'm gonna take my ball and go home and cry" rules?"
{Angel and Tara nod.}
"I'm sorry if I don't put much stock in a crapfest like that. I'm not going to get on a soapbox and start screaming that everyone needs to be the white knight and play fair. But if you have to design rules to keep your advantage, all it means is that you're too weak to do what you need to do while causing risk to yourself. People like that don't deserve respect or admiration in any way, shape or form. I know they don't ask for it and that's their big talking point, but it's a fact regardless. They should all just go play in traffic."
"Why Jack, I never knew you to be so cold and cynical."
{Ahhh Sarcasm. Get it?}
"Look, I don't give a rats ass how crazy this dude thinks he is. How awesome he thinks the matches he's in are, or how sick he thinks he's going dismember me. I'm not buying and I don't care if that offends him, pleases him, or makes his entirely indifferent. I came here to wrestle. Not to try and frickin kill people out of spite. I'm not trying to avoid violence, but I know when to stop. I know when to say know to the fake bullshit like we saw at Supremacy."
"So, you're saying wrestling is fake.."
"I want to backhand you right now. You know what I meant. They fell out of a moving truck and suddenly both are somehow medically cleared to wrestle? Bullshit. And if somehow it's not, I won't be held responsible when Harold's body gives out and he becomes crippled or worse. I don't believe it, and I'm not going to hold any punches back because of it. End of story."
"So you don't believe it at all?"
"I'll say it in plain english, since that's what the script tells you to fish for. No, I don't believe any of that crap actually happened, no matter what anyone says. Period. Can we get back to the game?"
{It's Taras' turn, and now that the whole promo spiel is over, she checks her cards. Only four remain.}
"Sixes?"
{Angel throws a card down.}
"Nines?"
{Jack throws a card down.}
"Fours?"
{Jack again throws a card down.}
"And Queens..?"
{Jack and Angel share an annoyed look, then Angel throws a card down.}
"I win.."
"You suck."
"You suck."
"Go ahead, be jealous. It just makes me better.. and you bitter.."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah... says you."
{Fade.}
"Sometime today, Jack."
{Jack says nothing, only focuses on his cards.}
"Before I'm old enough to collect my pension."
{Again, silence. Angel places his cards on the table, and punches Jack in the upper arm with force.}
"Gah.. fine.. Sevens? Anyone?"
"Go Fish."
"Go Fish."
{Jack takes a card, rubbing his arm with the other hand.}
"Now that the whole business with Head Cat is over, who do you have this week Jackie?"
"Harold Campbell. The other half of that boring bludgeon fest at Supremacy."
"That's an odd coincidence."
"Yeah, almost like it was designed that way."
"Scripted almost.. like a promo.."
{All three turn to the camera a quick glance, to emphasis the irony of that statement. What? You thought promos just happened and there just happened to be a camera around to catch it? How naive.}
"Though I admit my embarassment. I wanted to do some research, but then again.. I can't find it in my soul to give a damn. Take that what you will."
"Hey, they survived falling out of a speeding truck at sixty miles an hour. They gotta be tough."
"I'm sorry, but my logical mind cannot comprehend the impossible. The compound fractures alone would keep them out of action for months. It's almost like the whole thing was staged to look a lot worse than it was."
{Another glance at the camera, sarcastic smirks all around.}
"Hey, Harold was the first No Mercy Champion in XHF. I'd put some thought into that."
"What? You mean that title with the "If I don't win I'm gonna take my ball and go home and cry" rules?"
{Angel and Tara nod.}
"I'm sorry if I don't put much stock in a crapfest like that. I'm not going to get on a soapbox and start screaming that everyone needs to be the white knight and play fair. But if you have to design rules to keep your advantage, all it means is that you're too weak to do what you need to do while causing risk to yourself. People like that don't deserve respect or admiration in any way, shape or form. I know they don't ask for it and that's their big talking point, but it's a fact regardless. They should all just go play in traffic."
"Why Jack, I never knew you to be so cold and cynical."
{Ahhh Sarcasm. Get it?}
"Look, I don't give a rats ass how crazy this dude thinks he is. How awesome he thinks the matches he's in are, or how sick he thinks he's going dismember me. I'm not buying and I don't care if that offends him, pleases him, or makes his entirely indifferent. I came here to wrestle. Not to try and frickin kill people out of spite. I'm not trying to avoid violence, but I know when to stop. I know when to say know to the fake bullshit like we saw at Supremacy."
"So, you're saying wrestling is fake.."
"I want to backhand you right now. You know what I meant. They fell out of a moving truck and suddenly both are somehow medically cleared to wrestle? Bullshit. And if somehow it's not, I won't be held responsible when Harold's body gives out and he becomes crippled or worse. I don't believe it, and I'm not going to hold any punches back because of it. End of story."
"So you don't believe it at all?"
"I'll say it in plain english, since that's what the script tells you to fish for. No, I don't believe any of that crap actually happened, no matter what anyone says. Period. Can we get back to the game?"
{It's Taras' turn, and now that the whole promo spiel is over, she checks her cards. Only four remain.}
"Sixes?"
{Angel throws a card down.}
"Nines?"
{Jack throws a card down.}
"Fours?"
{Jack again throws a card down.}
"And Queens..?"
{Jack and Angel share an annoyed look, then Angel throws a card down.}
"I win.."
"You suck."
"You suck."
"Go ahead, be jealous. It just makes me better.. and you bitter.."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah... says you."
{Fade.}