Post by Kyle on Sept 9, 2021 22:37:37 GMT -5
Inside his high-rise suite, the Great White Terror powers on a tablet then logs into Skype. Connecting to a call, the connection is finalized and Dr. Shelby appears in a small square on the device as a smile appears on Keith's face.
Keith Williams: "How was your vacation?"
Dr. Shelby: "Relaxing, thank you for asking."
Keith Williams: "You don't know how happy it makes me to see you, to hear you."
Dr. Shelby: "Keith, this attachment isn't healthy. I'm your therapist, not a love interest."
Scoffing, Williams is put off by this comment.
Keith Williams: "I knew you'd say that. Why are you convinced we couldn't work?"
Dr. Shelby: "Our relationship is one of doctor and patient. I do not have romantic feelings for you."
Keith Williams: "You said relationship, that means something."
The smile that faded slowly returns as Keith tries his best to flirt with Dr. Shelby.
Dr. Shelby: "It's been a while since we talked about your mother and father. Would you like to talk about them?"
As quickly as it reappeared, the grin on KW's face disappears again.
Keith Williams: "Not really."
Dr. Shelby: "Why? What happened?"
Letting out a deep sigh, the Great White Terror explains.
Keith Williams: "Well... I stood them up. Sent some cards on Mother's Day and Father's Day, the pair were returned to sender."
Dr. Shelby: "That must have been tough. To put yourself back out there and come face-to-face with rejection. Do you love your parents?"
Keith Williams: "What kind of question is that?"
Dr. Shelby: "There's no hidden meaning, Keith. Are you close to your parents? Do you express your love for one another?"
Unsure how to phrase himself, Williams throws a hand up and blurts out a response.
Keith Williams: "I was. We were never the Partridge Family, but we did when it mattered."
Dr. Shelby: "Would you say there's become an increasing need to control everything because of your familial issues?"
Keith Williams: "No."
Dr. Shelby: "Are you being honest with yourself?"
Keith Williams: "Who is completely honest with themself? Let alone everyone else! You want complete honesty from me?"
Dr. Shelby: "I want you to confront what you're averting."
Keith Williams: "I'm mentally readying myself for my debut on Honor. I'm rehearsing in my mind every agonizing act I want to commit. I'm hoping that I can last through multiple matches. I need to be the best partner I can be to Neo."
Dr. Shelby: "You have a lot of respect and admiration for Neo, don't you?"
Keith Williams: "Yes, he's my brother. I'd do anything for him. It's important that together we make an example of Lynx and Lord Dominicus. The ReVenants can't show sympathy to anyone, especially those two."
Dr. Shelby: "Lord Dominicus, who is he?"
Rolling his eyes, Keith isn't impressed.
Keith Williams: "A bad joke."
Dr. Shelby: "That's not enough, expand your answer. Tell me who Lord Dominicus is to you."
His left eyebrow arches and it's not long after that Williams has additional thoughts to vocalize.
Keith Williams: "An impostor. A swindler. A charlatan. An old dog that's going to learn a new trick when he rolls over and shows me his belly. He's a masked menace that's absconded with something that's mine. He's the antithesis of evil. It's comedy to him, everything. At the last show he got a taste of chaos as a referee, at Fight for the Fallen he's getting a four-course meal of pain. Lord Dominicus' reign as NPW North American Double Crown Champion is coming to an abrupt end by my own hand."
Dr. Shelby: "You seem determined to strip him of his title. After you've done that, will you be fulfilled?"
Keith Williams: "No, because there's always more to do. I look around NPW and I see people just like Lynx that need to pay for their crimes. Reckless, slow-witted mouth breathers who don't have the first clue how things work here. The ReVenants call the shots and everyone else listens. There's no debate; there's no discussion. It's mandated law that's to be strictly followed and enforced. This isn't a Socratic Seminar. I don't care what opinions you have."
Dr. Shelby: "That doesn't enable two-way communication, Keith."
Frowning, KW is upset.
Keith Williams: "So? Maybe I don't want that. I'm the dictator, they're the obedient lemmings. Anything they could say wouldn't interest me."
Dr. Shelby: "You've made progress, but you're teetering on the precipice of regression. You should reconsider what you're planning to do."
Keith Williams: "You couldn't stop me if you tried, Doc. I'm a hopeless case and we both know it."
Dr. Shelby: "I don't believe that. I know this isn't as easy as you make it seem. There's still internal conflict in you over whether this is the right thing to do."
Looking away, Keith isn't so sure.
Keith Williams: "Before the world had fucked on me repeatedly I used to think like you do. Trying to see the good in everyone, holding onto a pipe dream until it blew up in my face. Look into my eyes, Doc, there's no forgiveness in me. We all make decisions in life that we have to accept. There's no room for regret to fester. Sure as I know anything, I know this – they will try again. Maybe in another promotion, maybe on the very mat swept clean of their blood. A month from now, ten? They’ll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that. So no more runnin’. I aim to misbehave."
Dr. Shelby: "I wish I could help you see how narrow minded this vision of yours is. While we've run past our allotted time for this week, I want to please implore you to rethink what you're plotting, Mr. Williams."
Keith Williams: "Mr. Williams is my dad."
Ending the videocall without saying goodbye, Keith grumbles as he tosses the tablet on a sofa.
Keith Williams: "How was your vacation?"
Dr. Shelby: "Relaxing, thank you for asking."
Keith Williams: "You don't know how happy it makes me to see you, to hear you."
Dr. Shelby: "Keith, this attachment isn't healthy. I'm your therapist, not a love interest."
Scoffing, Williams is put off by this comment.
Keith Williams: "I knew you'd say that. Why are you convinced we couldn't work?"
Dr. Shelby: "Our relationship is one of doctor and patient. I do not have romantic feelings for you."
Keith Williams: "You said relationship, that means something."
The smile that faded slowly returns as Keith tries his best to flirt with Dr. Shelby.
Dr. Shelby: "It's been a while since we talked about your mother and father. Would you like to talk about them?"
As quickly as it reappeared, the grin on KW's face disappears again.
Keith Williams: "Not really."
Dr. Shelby: "Why? What happened?"
Letting out a deep sigh, the Great White Terror explains.
Keith Williams: "Well... I stood them up. Sent some cards on Mother's Day and Father's Day, the pair were returned to sender."
Dr. Shelby: "That must have been tough. To put yourself back out there and come face-to-face with rejection. Do you love your parents?"
Keith Williams: "What kind of question is that?"
Dr. Shelby: "There's no hidden meaning, Keith. Are you close to your parents? Do you express your love for one another?"
Unsure how to phrase himself, Williams throws a hand up and blurts out a response.
Keith Williams: "I was. We were never the Partridge Family, but we did when it mattered."
Dr. Shelby: "Would you say there's become an increasing need to control everything because of your familial issues?"
Keith Williams: "No."
Dr. Shelby: "Are you being honest with yourself?"
Keith Williams: "Who is completely honest with themself? Let alone everyone else! You want complete honesty from me?"
Dr. Shelby: "I want you to confront what you're averting."
Keith Williams: "I'm mentally readying myself for my debut on Honor. I'm rehearsing in my mind every agonizing act I want to commit. I'm hoping that I can last through multiple matches. I need to be the best partner I can be to Neo."
Dr. Shelby: "You have a lot of respect and admiration for Neo, don't you?"
Keith Williams: "Yes, he's my brother. I'd do anything for him. It's important that together we make an example of Lynx and Lord Dominicus. The ReVenants can't show sympathy to anyone, especially those two."
Dr. Shelby: "Lord Dominicus, who is he?"
Rolling his eyes, Keith isn't impressed.
Keith Williams: "A bad joke."
Dr. Shelby: "That's not enough, expand your answer. Tell me who Lord Dominicus is to you."
His left eyebrow arches and it's not long after that Williams has additional thoughts to vocalize.
Keith Williams: "An impostor. A swindler. A charlatan. An old dog that's going to learn a new trick when he rolls over and shows me his belly. He's a masked menace that's absconded with something that's mine. He's the antithesis of evil. It's comedy to him, everything. At the last show he got a taste of chaos as a referee, at Fight for the Fallen he's getting a four-course meal of pain. Lord Dominicus' reign as NPW North American Double Crown Champion is coming to an abrupt end by my own hand."
Dr. Shelby: "You seem determined to strip him of his title. After you've done that, will you be fulfilled?"
Keith Williams: "No, because there's always more to do. I look around NPW and I see people just like Lynx that need to pay for their crimes. Reckless, slow-witted mouth breathers who don't have the first clue how things work here. The ReVenants call the shots and everyone else listens. There's no debate; there's no discussion. It's mandated law that's to be strictly followed and enforced. This isn't a Socratic Seminar. I don't care what opinions you have."
Dr. Shelby: "That doesn't enable two-way communication, Keith."
Frowning, KW is upset.
Keith Williams: "So? Maybe I don't want that. I'm the dictator, they're the obedient lemmings. Anything they could say wouldn't interest me."
Dr. Shelby: "You've made progress, but you're teetering on the precipice of regression. You should reconsider what you're planning to do."
Keith Williams: "You couldn't stop me if you tried, Doc. I'm a hopeless case and we both know it."
Dr. Shelby: "I don't believe that. I know this isn't as easy as you make it seem. There's still internal conflict in you over whether this is the right thing to do."
Looking away, Keith isn't so sure.
Keith Williams: "Before the world had fucked on me repeatedly I used to think like you do. Trying to see the good in everyone, holding onto a pipe dream until it blew up in my face. Look into my eyes, Doc, there's no forgiveness in me. We all make decisions in life that we have to accept. There's no room for regret to fester. Sure as I know anything, I know this – they will try again. Maybe in another promotion, maybe on the very mat swept clean of their blood. A month from now, ten? They’ll swing back to the belief that they can make people... better. And I do not hold to that. So no more runnin’. I aim to misbehave."
Dr. Shelby: "I wish I could help you see how narrow minded this vision of yours is. While we've run past our allotted time for this week, I want to please implore you to rethink what you're plotting, Mr. Williams."
Keith Williams: "Mr. Williams is my dad."
Ending the videocall without saying goodbye, Keith grumbles as he tosses the tablet on a sofa.