Post by King Richius on Aug 13, 2017 13:26:33 GMT -5
Prologue: When in Rome
Rome : 92 B.C.
Quintus Poppaedius Silo, a free man of the Marsi province in Italy and veteran of the Roman legions, entered the domus of Roman patrician Marcus Livius Drusus. A slave led him through the atrium to the study where his master was sipping wine while reading through some scrolls.
Marcus invites Quintus to join him in a glass which another slave pours before leaving the two men to their private discussion. After the usual exchange of pleasantries and exchanging of gossip, Quintus turns the conversation to serious matters.
Do you remember the battle in Gaul?
How could I forget? Eighty thousand soldiers dead at the hands of the Germanic tribes. It was a rout and an embarrassment to Rome. All because of one stubborn patrician who refused to work with troops made up from the capite censi.
[Note: The capite censi or head count were non-citizens of Rome and its provinces, the second lowest of all social classes above only freed slaves. The name comes from these people having to be counted by head during a census instead of by landholdings. They were the blue collar working class of the Republic of Rome. For readability, I will refer to the capite censi and freed slave classes as free men.]
One noble citizen of Rome caused the deaths of so many of my fellow free men. The only punishment he received was exile to a distant province, free to take his money and slaves with him to live in luxury.
You don’t have to point out the fallacies of the Roman dignitas, particularly when it comes to our incompetent military leaders.
Drusus was one of those rare patricians who was less concerned with his dignitas than most. The defeat in Gaul had cured him of that particular character flaw common to his noble class. He placed the health and well being of the people above all else.
Are you aware of how many families found themselves with no husband and no father, unable to earn sufficient income to stay out of debt? And are you aware how many of those women and children were sold into slavery to pay off the debts they would never repay? Is that how the noble Romans reward the families of the men who sacrificed themselves for Rome?
Damn it Quintus, you know I am on your side. I was one of the few survivors at Gaul just like you. I’ve seen how the Senate treats the free men of Italy and other provinces. It cannot be allowed to continue.
Good. I’m happy that we have one advocate in the Senate. Are you aware of the census that will be taken this year?
Of course I am. The new censors have promised to use new methods for a more thorough and accurate census. The Senate fears too many free men have falsely claimed and been granted citizenship in the past. They intend to clean up the books.
Do you know how they intend to do this?
They will send representatives to each province, or hire local officials if need be. Every citizen on the rolls must present themselves to be judged.
Quintus guided the conversation into the realms of hypotheticals, that being a favorite pastime for many would be philosophers and aspiring politicians. It gave Romans the opportunity to practice their rhetoric in even the most casual conversation. It also allowed them to talk of subjects that in different circumstances would get them exiled or executed. The walls really did have ears, in the form of slaves who could get their freedom and citizenship if they turned their master in to the authorities.
What would a fine Roman like yourself say if I told you many of the representatives can be bought and that many free men will buy their citizenship?
I’d say that it is my duty as a Roman to report you to the tribunal so you could be brought up on charges of treason.
What if I told you those same free men who would be citizens are gathering weapons and organizing militias? What if they want their citizenship so bad that if they can’t buy it, they will take it by force?
My answer is the same. No matter how distasteful it would be, as a Roman I can brook no actions that hurt Rome.
Then it is a good thing we are dealing in hypotheticals my old friend, isn’t it?
Yes, it is. Consider this. A civil war would hurt not only Rome but all of Italy. Everybody would suffer, citizens and free men alike. I have a different plan in mind.
What would that be?
I will get elected Tribune of the Plebs. Once in office, I will introduce new laws slowly improving conditions for the free men. When the time is right, I will get the free men of Italy… ALL of them… their rightful Roman citizenship.
Your silver tongue will do what a hundred thousand swords cannot?
Yes, if you give me time. What do you think of that?
I wouldn’t object. In fact, I encourage you to do it.
What would your hypothetical friend do? Would he wait and see or is he set on his course?
Oh, I doubt he thinks you can convince the stubborn old fools in the Senate but he wishes you luck. It is a peaceful solution but if you don’t hurry, he won’t wait. The free men have waited long enough.
That is bad news for us all. We’ve both seen enough of war in our time. I much prefer drinking wine together.
As do I. I would enjoy drinking more with you but I must go now.
Will you come see me again before another year passes?
It’s hard to say. I don’t think either of us will have any time for social visits.
They both knew this was the last time they would see each other. Quintus would proceed with his “hypothetical” illegal plans to gain citizenship for as many free men as possible, even if it meant civil war. He would never involve Marcus in his plans because that would lead to Marcus facing a trial for treason thus losing his chance to become Tribune of the Plebs. Two friends brought together in war and separated in peace because one is a patrician of Rome and the other a common man of Marsi.
Marcus did exactly as he said he would. He won the election to become Tribune of the Plebs. His eloquent speeches swayed enough of the patricians to his side and he got the first of his laws passed. This angered the boni, the conservative faction of the Senate. In 91 B.C., Marcus was assassinated in his own home. His silver tongue was silenced and his reforms were quickly redacted by the boni.
Quintus also continued with his plans. Thousands of free men bribed the census and became citizens leading to a witch hunt to identify all the false citizens and punish them. Many were flogged and forced into slavery. Others fled their homes to distant provinces. A hundred thousand free men in Italy rose up in armed rebellion with Silo as their leader. For a brief time it looked like the rebellion might succeed but the money and resources available to the Roman nobles was too much and the rebellion was crushed. Quintus died on the field of battle in 88 B.C. In an odd twist of fate, he was slain by Marcus’ brother.
One revolutionary who tried to win through words.
One revolutionary who tried to win through force.
Two men who died for a lost cause and became historical footnotes.
WFWF Pacific Rim RP
The Center Must Hold
featuring Frank Lynn
Vancouver : August 17, 2017 : Pacific Rim
It might shock people to hear me say it, but my problem with Anna has very little to do with her name and how she used it to get a job in the WFWF. I can relate because my name is what got me a job here too.
Neither of us spent any time paying our dues in the indies. The WFWF execs saw our names and that was enough to get us a shot.
I got signed by the WFWF because I made the name Frank Lynn mean something in combat sports. I wasn’t a professional wrestler but I put in the work as an amateur wrestler in the NCAA and an MMA fighter in the Guerrilla Fighting League. Seven years of experience in combat sports prepared me for success in the WFWF.
I earned my spot.
And I keep on earning it by showing up week after week pushing every opponent to their limits. Ask Joe Bishop, who may have beat me but was flat on his back when the ref raised his arm in victory. I pushed the best wrestler in the world to his absolute limit.
Anna got signed to a WFWF contract straight out of high school because her name is Ahriman. Yes, that’s nepotism, which Anna freely admits and it should offend some WFWF wrestlers like Sean Casey, a twenty year veteran of the indies who is just now getting his chance in the WFWF. It bothers me, but in the same way a mosquito bite bothers me. A minor irritant easily ignored. Nepotism exists everywhere. It’s a part of life we have to accept. Its not always a bad thing either. Look at Scarlett Quinn, Ken Griffey Jr., or either of the Manning boys who successfully followed in their father’s footsteps.
It started to bother me though when Anna let it go to her head.
She debuted in the WFWF as part of a tournament to crown a new world champion because her name is Ahriman. She comes to the ring firing insults at much more accomplished wrestlers and acting like a self-entitled whiny little b*tch because her last name is Ahriman. She really thinks she deserves to be a top tier main event player because her last name is Ahriman.
Really? Being an Ahriman means that much? Anna’s sh*t don’t stink because her name is Ahriman?
Don’t make me laugh.
Too late. I’m laughing so hard my eyes are watering and my gut hurts.
The only thing her last name signifies is that twenty years ago her father stuck his sword in her mother and left behind a red headed bundle of bad attitude. Having interacted with her on several occasions, I wish someone had educated young Samael on the merits of birth control.
Can you blame Anna for taking what was given to her by the star struck suits in management who know the name Ahriman on the marquee will put asses in the seats?
Let me think about that.
Yes, I can blame her.
Because she let it go to her head and believes she is better than the rest of us poor dumb shmucks who actually worked to get here and should bow down to the next generation of almighty Ahrimans.
Sorry little girl, you won’t win any matches by flashing your birth certificate.
It’s time to put an end to all the hand outs you are getting because of your name.
It’s time you started earning something instead of having it handed to you.
The WFWF is my home now and you are trying to sneak in through the bathroom window. You will find me sitting on the couch with a beer in one hand and a loaded shotgun in the other.
This is my house. If you can’t come in through the front door, then get the f*ck out.
Framingham, MA : July 20, 2017
I am the lord of my domain.
Heh heh. One hell of a pompous way to say “I own a house” but it works for me. My friends would say it was a long time coming. Between the money I inherited last year, the return on my investment in Legacy, and my ample WFWF income I really had no excuse to stay in my humble yet expensive Boston apartment.
So, with a little help from Sarah who did the searching for me while I was busy with WFWF business, I found this place. A two story ranch house on a five acre estate in Framingham. Used to be part of a much larger farm, but the fields were sold as a separate lot to a neighboring farmer. I got enough land to guarantee my privacy, and a nice four bedroom house that gives me room for a family - if I ever find the time to date, marry, f*ck, and have a brat or two.
There is one other nice feature of the property: a large barn in the back yard. My first order of business was hiring a contractor to renovate and convert the barn. It is now a fully equipped gym complete with wrestling ring, bleacher seats for fifty people, and an HVAC system so I can use it year round. I can train right here in my own home instead of losing hours every day to Boston traffic. Oh, I’ll still drop by the Legacy facilities so I can get some sparring in but most days I’ll have my trainers come here so I can devote even more time to working on my physical conditioning and in ring skills.
Ugh. I can just imagine someone being bored to tears hearing me ramble on about my new digs. Good for you. You bought a house and fixed it up. F*ck you, you rich boring bastard. Imagine if I mentioned that I paid cash. Yeah, the haters would really jump on that.
Good thing no one can read my thoughts, eh? Inner monologues should stay inner, right?
If people could read my thoughts, I think they’d find some good stuff. I’m not just sitting on a deck attached to a house built on a piece of land that I can call mine. I’m looking at something my life has been building to for two and a half decades. This house and this land is a metaphor or a simile or alliteration or something like that. You’d have to ask Ante Whitner which one it is, he’s the resident WFWF literary expert. I’m not inclined to care enough to look it up.
See, buying this house is just like coming to the WFWF. I’ve spent my entire adult life wandering from one place to another trying to find the one that feels like home. I tried boxing, kickboxing, and then settled on MMA for a few years but it never felt quite right. Then I came to the WFWF. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was home.
I felt it the moment I walked to the ring for my first match just like I felt the first time I stepped into this house. I can’t describe the exact feeling but everyone knows it. Best comparison I can make is remember how you felt when you bought your first new car, the perfect extension of your personality that inspired you to take three hour drives to no where just because you were driving your car and you owned the road.
Problem is, as much as the house felt like home, it needed work. There is always something that needs to be fixed or could use some improvement. Much like the WFWF. I like it in the WFWF but am not blind to the fact that there is room for improvement.
As far as the house and the barn went, it was easy. Open my checkbook to a contractor, tell him what work I wanted done, and let him have at it.
That’s where the simile or metaphor or whatever the hell this is falls apart. I’d love to pay a contractor to renovate the WFWF but its not that simple.
Nope. The WFWF is difficult. Its going to take something big to make even the smallest change.
I have to draw him out of hiding.
Huh?
Sarah is understandably confused by my random comment. For all she knows I am talking about Doctor Claw, who has been so busy exploring his vastly expanded cat universe that I only see him when he wants food. She turns to me, sipping her iced tea and waiting for me to elaborate.
I let her stew for a moment, taking the time to enjoy the view. She changed her looks recently in most dramatic fashion: cut her hair short, dyed it a different color, and got colored contact lenses. No longer a green eyed red head. Now a blue eyed strawberry blonde. Still sexy as hell, ‘specially in her tank top and Daisy Duke shorts, but definitely not Becky’s doppelgänger. I can finally see her as Sarah instead of the reincarnation of my dead girlfriend and I like what I see.
Now we’re leaving the friends zone but for what I’m not quite sure. Not a couple, not even friends with benefits, but still way more than friends. Best to borrow from Facebook: it’s complicated.
Enough letting her stew. I can see the impatience building in her expression. I’ve learned that Sarah has almost as short a temper as I do and I am not in the mood to face her anger today.
The owner.
Aren’t you the owner?
She better be kidding. If not, then she's nowhere near as smart as I give her credit for.
I’m talking about the WFWF.
Oh right. Always thinking about your revolution, eh?
Yep. Dealing with Lila is pointless. She’s a puppet. The owner is the puppet master. I have to get him to come out of the closet.
Isn’t that risky? If he doesn’t like what you have to say, you could lose your job… and all of this.
Sarah emphasizes her point by waving an arm out sweeping across the view from the deck facing the back yard, the hot tub (as per Daphne’s suggestion), the converted barn, the lone car I retained from Paulie’s collection: a black ’67 Chevy Impala that looks like it came straight off the set of Supernatural (which is why I kept it), the outhouse (yes, the original outhouse has been maintained all these years and yes, you can take a sh*t in it if you are allergic to indoor plumbing).
I sigh. She’s missing the big picture. I’m an asset to the WFWF at a time when they can’t afford to lose any more talent. If they can put up with Trace Demon or Phillip Schneider then I’m not too worried about my job security. I can be difficult but I am not a problem child like so many others. My job is secure.
It won’t come to that.
I hope not. I could grow very fond of all of this.
Again with the arm waving motion. I may be dense when it comes to the fairer sex, but even I can’t miss that one. Sarah is being as subtle as a flashing neon sign.
Good. Get used to it.
I will. So let’s play out this little thought experiment of yours. How’re you going to draw out the owner?
Fan support. The flyers and social media stuff are working. I heard that Lila had to hire a new intern just to sift through all the e-mails and tweets from my supporters.
I was skeptical when Scott suggested the flyer campaign and flat out shocked when it actually worked. Thousand of fans joining the cause. Makes you feel good about yourself.
So you’re going to annoy him until he responds?
If that is what it takes. Sooner or later, he has to answer to the paying customers.
Assume that your campaign works and you annoy him into action. Then what?
Hell, I’m not sure. I guess I talk to him. Make him realize that when he bought the WFWF he assumed responsibility to give the fans the best product possible.
I really shouldn’t have to explain it to the new owner but its hard to know where he stands when he won’t even show his face. Hell, I don’t even know if it is a he or a she.
How can I form a strategy without knowing if the owner is a life long wrestling fan, a former wrestler, a businessman looking to expand his empire, or just some nouveau rich f*ck that sold his soul to Trace Demon?
Damn it, I want to know who the f*cking boss is! He is the real King of the Sh*t Show and he has a lot to answer for.
No offense, but the WFWF is doing quite well right now. I follow the financials as part of my work for Legacy, you know. The switch to regular PPVs is working so far. Fans are buying in. They enjoy the sh*t show, as you like to call it.
Because thats all they’ve seen for years. Some of them… enough of them… are coming around. I just have to keep the pressure on until something cracks.
You do realize you are being stubborn, right?
Duh. Stubbornness ranks just behind ego as the most common trait shared by all professional wrestlers. Without a little bit of both, you aren’t going anywhere.
Yes.
And there is very little chance any of this will work.
I can tell from her tone that she is enjoying her role as devil’s advocate. It keeps me on my toes but honestly, I don’t know how much more I can take. I get enough of people trying to tear me down in the WFWF. I don’t need it when I come home.
I have to try.
Why?
Because its worth doing.
And because I didn’t start winning the “big one” until after I fully embraced the revolution. I needed some inspiration to get over the hump and the revolution is it. No turning back now.
You should prepare yourself.
For what?
You may have to be the one to change, not the WFWF.
That would be the absolute worst case scenario. The WFWF has to change because I don’t think I can live with myself if I have to sink to the level of a Schneider or Demon. I’m lacking the assh*le gene in my DNA.
I’ll fight it to the bitter end.
Go for it. But keep in mind, the WFWF is not Legacy and you don’t have the same stroke as a wrestler that you do as an owner. Fight your revolution but have a backup plan in case it blows up in your face.
Damn her logic. Yes I should have a backup plan but a voice in my head is screaming that making a backup plan is admitting failure before I even try. So nope, no backup plan for now. There is no other option. Fight for the revolution. Win or die. For now, my life is as simple as that.
Vancouver : August 17, 2017 : Pacific Rim
Other wrestlers have been saying all kinds of sh*t about me, ‘specially from the likes of Anna Ahriman, Trace Demon and David Brennan. That’s to be expected. Its kinda’ what we wrestlers do. We play mind games and try to break our opponents’ spirit before they step foot in the ring. I take most of what has been said about me with a few thousand grains of salt.
What I didn’t expect was that Joe would say all the same things about me before our match at Confluence. He was bit nicer about it but a turd is still a turd no matter how much you try to shine it.
Joe is one of many who believes I only beat Trace Demon because of the Future’s interruption. Joe said I wasn’t ready. Joe said he was going to teach me a lesson in biding my time while I sit at his feet and learn from the master so he could pass the torch at some point in the (distant) future.
That doesn’t sound like an ally who sees me as an equal in the fight to change the WFWF for the better. That sounds like Batman reminding Robin who wears the long tights and who wears the booty shorts.
Yes sir, I’ll wash the Batmobile while you fight the Joker. I’ll sweep the Batcave while you fight the Riddler. I’ll restock your utility belt while you f*ck Catwoman. Anything you want as long as I get to be Batman when you retire.
Beating Ante Whitner, Scarlett Quinn, and Trace Demon wasn’t enough. Pushing Joe to a match as close and competitive as his tournament matches against Trace Demon and David Brennan wasn’t enough.
Apparently, I have more work to do if I am to get Joe Bishop’s respect.
I have to beat Anna Ahriman clean in a pure match of wrestling skill and athleticism to cement my spot as a top player in the WFWF and as an equal partner in the revolution.
Sucks to be you, Anna. As if I needed more motivation to beat you than simply shutting you up. The revolution is everything to me and beating you has become very important to keeping the revolution strong.
Nervous yet?
Edmonton : July 29, 2017 : Heading West
Act two of the Join the Revolution! campaign went well. Daphne is watching the activity on Twitter and judging by how quickly she is scrolling and refreshing, there is a hell of a lot of activity to watch.
Not even Anna Ahriman’s unwelcome presence could dilute the message tonight. I’m going to enjoy shutting her up at Pacific Rim. She worked hard to make our match personal. She succeeded. More than the revolution is on the line. So is my reputation.
The locker room door swings open and Joe Bishop walks in, looking even more intense than usual for the World Champion.
Ever hear of knocking?
And Daphne is off and running. Joe said some things to her and about her that pissed her off. Never piss off a Latina woman. Its safer to stick you fingers in an electric socket.
Joe completely ignores Daphne and speaks directly to me. Might as well stick his fingers in an electric socket while standing in water.
We have to talk. You need to stop this campaign of yours.
I don’t get to respond. Daphne’s been waiting for a chance to unload on Joe.
Really? Why should we stop? Because you say so?
I try to give Daphne a look that says “please stop”. Either I fail miserably or she doesn’t care because there’s no stopping this train. She has Joe’s attention now and I can see that he isn’t interested in anything Daphne has to say.
Would you stay out of this? Frank and I are trying to make a difference and you’re not helping. Your tweets are making us look like fools.
I want to tell Joe the social media campaign came from the mind of a marketing expert from Joshua Dean’s agency but I still can’t get a word in. Daphne is in Joe’s face talking so fast I can barely understand her.
Isn’t that special? The Brit is giving the American advice on how to win a revolution. Let me tell you something your lordship. You don’t know the first thing about…
Red alert! DEFCON 4! This is about to end very badly if I don’t do something.
DAPHNE! JOE!
Okay, now they’re both looking at me like a hungry lion looks at a lame zebra.
Please, can we bring it down a notch or two? Discuss this like adults?
Nope. I can tell from the looks on their faces that these two are not going to play nice. One of them has to go. Sorry Daphne, it’s more important that I talk to Joe.
Daphne, why don’t you take a walk, get some fresh air? Joe and I have business to discuss.
Daphne gives me a dirty look before heading towards the door, making sure to push Joe out of her way while muttering under her breath. Joe shows remarkable restraint all things considered. So does Daphne given that she was just dismissed like a scolded child.
Quiero ser luchador mi culo. Soy un campeón del mundo como tú, estúpido hijo de puta.
Ouch. You know Daphne is pissed when she goes full on Spanish. I’ve picked up enough from being around her to hope Joe doesn’t speak the language. I don’t think he would appreciate being called the illegitimate offspring of a female dog.
I’m sorry, Joe. Daphne is not happy with some of the things you've said recently.
Can’t say that I blame her but I’m not going to mention that to Joe. I’ll be a buffer between my manager and my ally to keep the revolution going strong.
I don’t think she is good for you. You should be concentrating on having good clean technical matches. That will attract the fans of true wrestling. You can’t market the revolution as a trendy brand. We don’t need the kind of people it attracts.
We don’t? I’d say we need somebody, anybody to join our cause because all you got for a year of preaching was me. Good thing too because I’m doing something.
It’s easy to talk about leading by example when you’ve had it easy. That’s right. Check the tapes. The only time you’ve had any shenanigans happen is in tag matches with Ante or me as your partner. Your rise to the top of the WFWF has been surprisingly smooth, even in matches with notorious wrestlers like Trace Demon and David Brennan.
What is it that feeds your staunch belief that the WFWF needs cleaning up? Can it really be as simple as righteous indignation on behalf of the rest of us who are constant victims of the bullsh*t?
It really makes me wonder what happened during your last hiatus. Show me on the doll where the bad man touched you. It would shed so much light on who you really are.
I disagree. The fans who show up in the arenas and buy every PPV are exactly the people we need to reach and convert. They are the very lifeblood of this business. Not the wrestlers. Not the suits. The fans.
Blank look on Joe’s face. Is he not getting my point? Or is he not pleased that I have a different viewpoint than he does?
Without them we have nothing. With them, we have an army. An army of paying customers who if they complain loud enough and long enough will force the suits to respond.
Still with the blank look. Joe is locked into this “my way or the highway” attitude. I don’t want to lose him as an ally. I have to break that attitude, make him see that there are other options.
You’re a bright guy, Frank. Bright guys have ideas. Not all of them are good ideas though. Get with the program. Go out there and put on great matches. That’s all we need to do. Change will come.
Sure it will… sometime around 2025… IF the rest of the roster will let us have clean matches. IF wrestlers like Schneider, the Future, and Gotch would stop crawling out of the woodwork. IF the Lizzie Hyde's would stick around for longer than five minutes. IF you aren’t willing to try a more aggressive approach.
I don’t mind trying something else… IF the idea is a good one. This marketing campaign isn’t a good idea.
I have the feeling that no idea I come up with would be a good one. I should have expected this. Joe’s convictions aren’t limited to just wanting the WFWF to change. They also include how that change should come about. I thought I could be stubborn. Joe puts me to shame.
Having the belt around his waist makes Joe a little more comfortable with the long approach. I don’t have a belt and honestly doubt I will get one until AFTER things change. There will always be a Demon or Ahriman who is willing to do what I won’t so they can be a champion.
That’s why I won’t give up on the revolution and why I won’t give up on this alliance with Joe. He won’t compromise so its up to me.
How about this? I’ll back off on the “Join the Revolution!” campaign until after Pacific Rim. I really should be giving Anna Ahriman one hundred per cent of my attention anyway.
Good. The best thing you can do for yourself and the cause is to beat Anna in the ring fair and square.
I pull a book out of my gym bag, a housewarming gift from Sarah to help fill the shelves in my library. She knows that I like to read about history so she gave me a book on Ancient Rome.
I enjoyed reading the book despite the transparent reason she gave it to me. The fall of the Republic was full of idealists trying to change the world who failed: Gaius Marius, Lucius Sulla, Spartacus, Pompey the Great, Caesar, Cicero, etc. No matter what method any of them tried, the decline from republic into empire was inevitable and unstoppable. Sarah was sending me a not so subtle message that she doesn’t think the revolution will succeed.
I got a completely different message from reading the book. I read the stories of Marcus Drusus and Quintus Silo. Two men who had the same goals but came from different classes and had different methods. They failed as individuals. Had they been able to work together they could have succeeded.
Do I have to spell it out for the mentally challenged? United we stand, divided we fall.
An obvious and simple lesson I need to be sure Joe knows. Our alliance can’t fall apart because we can’t agree on a strategy. That would be stupid.
Take this. Read it. Pay special attention to the chapters on Drusus, Silo, and the Social War of 91 to 88 B.C.
Ancient Rome? What the hell does that have to do with the WFWF?
Nothing. Everything. Just read the damn book! Can you give just a little?
Please, just read it. If it doesn’t change your mind about the marketing campaign then I’ll consider ending it permanently. Try to come up with something else that we can both agree on.
If you think its worth it then I’ll try to make the time.
Thanks. You should probably go now. I have to smooth things over with Daphne. You saw the mood she was in. I have my work cut out for me.
We all do.
Joe leaves with the same intense look as when he entered. I kept our alliance alive but I can’t let Joe and Daphne be in the same room again. I barely averted disaster this time.
I really hope Joe reads the book and takes away the same message I did. We need to work together. We need to listen to each other’s ideas with an open mind. I’m too pro-active to sit around waiting for “lead by example” to work, not when there are other methods I think can work much faster. Joe has to understand that and work with me.
Vancouver : August 17, 2017 : Pacific Rim
I sincerely hope Anna realizes what is at stake in our match. I know she can be a self-absorbed brat but she has to be aware of what is going on around us.
David Brennan’s career is on the line at Pacific Rim against the best wrestler in the world: WFWF World Heavyweight Champion Joe Bishop.
My money is on Joe successfully defending his title and Brennan taking a long walk into the sunset immediately afterwards.
Brennan won’t be taking his collection of belts with him when he goes. Lila will have to crown new champions and do it quickly. Nobody ever bought a ticket to see Vacant defend his International Championship.
Every Tom, Dick, and Jane in the WFWF is going to scramble to fill the void left by Brennan. Demon, Crowe, Whitner, and Schneider have to be at the top of the list but there are few others who could also be considered.
Frank Lynn and Anna Ahriman.
Even that podcasting hack Mike Hickenbottom sees it and he is a basement dwelling idiot infamous for getting things wrong. Anybody else remember how he ranked Kyzer at #1 after SuperBrawl. Where is the God of F*ck now?
Hickenbottom’s latest power rankings have both Anna and I ranked pretty high and poised for a breakthrough should Brennan come up short.
I won’t argue against his high opinion of me. I happen to agree because wins over Whitner and Demon are not easy to come by yet I have beaten both in the past few months.
On the other hand, Anna Ahriman hasn’t done sh*t to deserve any kind of title shot, at least not yet. If she’s smart, she knows beating me could be the stepping stone that propels her into contention. I’m not sure she is that smart though, based on how she continues to act like an idiot coming to the ring telling me that I am the problem with the WFWF.
How can she turn a blind eye after seeing her father’s career end with him stuck to the mat by his own sword? How can she condone the constant criminal assaults by Trace Demon, Phillip Schneider, and Jon Gotch?
How can she defend the honor of a god damned sh*t show that is completely without honor?
Is it possible that she does’t give a flying f*ck about the state of the WFWF? Could she be playing all of us?
Maybe she believes by putting me in the role of the white hat wearing hero in this match that I will roll over and play dead for her because she is a woman and it should offend my honor to hit a woman.
Newsflash Anna: chivalry is dead.
What may be true outside of the ring doesn’t mean sh*t once we’re in the ring and the bell sounds. I’m not holding any doors open for you to walk through. In fact, I’m going to slam the door in your face because if there are any title shots to be earned from this match then I want to be the person earning them.
Just imagine what it would mean for the revolution if we have both the World and International Championships. Hell, why not go after the Tag Titles too. We did pretty good as a team until Trace pulled out the handcuffs. The rest of the locker room would have to pay attention if we can grab all the gold. It would be undeniable proof that our way works.
Add that to the growing list of reasons motivating me to win.
Are you nervous now, Anna? You should be. Frankly, you should be beyond nervous and well into scared sh*tless.
Framingham : August 7, 2017
I’m working the heavy bag while Daphne holds it, trying to bury my thoughts behind a haze of maximum physical exertion.
It’s not working.
The past few weeks my life has been dominated by harpies, each one screeching and clawing at me, trying to pull me in every direction at once.
Sarah is tearing away at my connection to the revolution. Daphne is tearing away at my connection to Joe Bishop. Joe, who has definite diva qualities which qualifies him to be a harpy despite the incorrect sexual apparatus, is tearing away at my connection to Daphne. And circling menacingly in the distance waiting for her chance to tear me into little pieces is Anna Ahriman.
Christ, what a f*cking mess. I’m stuck in a bad position where there doesn’t seem to be a clear path to pleasing all of them… not that I actually want to please Anna. I just want her to shut up. It would be nice to get Sarah, Daphne, and Joe on the same page. I may need a miracle for that.
So here I am beating the holy hell out of the heavy bag hoping to push all of it out of my head so I can focus on my match. I have no doubts that a win will go a long way towards resolving my harpy issues while a loss would be devastating.
I’m leaning heavily on my most trusted friend, Daphne. Of all the harpies, she is the only one who has sacrificed anything for me, the only one to give more than they take. I can question her actions but never her intentions. She always wants what is best for me.
I still can’t believe you caved to Joe. Scott’s social media campaign was working.
I stop hitting the bag and lean in to hug it, my face mere inches from Daphne’s.
But Joe didn’t approve. He’s the power player in our alliance. Joe gives the revolution legitimacy.
Joe? Or the belt around his waist?
*shrug*
Some alliance. He says “Sh*t” and you say “What color?”
*sigh*
Too late to change it now. What’s done is done. No more tweets until you change your mind.
See? Daphne sacrifices for me yet again. Just like she sacrificed a little piece of her reputation as a pro wrestler when she took on - and lost - to the self-entitled princess of the Ahriman clan.
It’s only temporary, until we can discuss it again after Pacific Rim. For now we can focus entirely on beating the Ahriman brat.
In that case, less talk and more work!
Yes ma’am! Jab jab hook kick kick
I’ve been in the ring with both of you. There’s no comparison. She’s faster but this isn’t a foot race. It’s a fight.
Jab hook uppercut knee
All you have to do is catch her just once.
Elbow elbow spinning back fist
BOOM! Hit your power moves. Put her down and out!
Front kick elbow uppercut super kick CRASH OUCH
Crash? Ouch?
My last super kick knocked the bag right off its hook on top of Daphne. She is laughing, almost maniacally like a cartoon villain.
That’s what I’m talking about! Now get this thing off me so we can keep going.
That’s my manager. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Just like me.
I won’t allow myself to be a one hit wonder. My win over Trace Demon wasn’t a fluke. The loss to Joe Bishop wasn’t as good as it gets. I can do better.
I’m going to dominate Anna Ahriman. I doubt she knew what she was getting into when she called me out. Now its too late for her to back out. She thinks being an Ahriman makes her hot sh*t. Fine. I’ll take great pleasure in adding the Ahriman name to the list of foes I’ve beaten.
Jab hook uppercut elbow elbow knee knee spinning heel kick
Daphne is smiling, not one of those warm and fuzzy smiles either. If she had a mustache she would be twirling it. She smells the blood in the water. She knows I’m a shark and Anna is a bucket of chum.
Vancouver : August 17, 2017 : Pacific Rim
If you don’t let this place f*ck with your head you could go far.
I only had one very brief conversation with Samael Ahriman, immediately after I won my debut match against Mike Jette. That’s when he shared those words of wisdom with me.
I have to wonder if he bothered to share that same advice with his own daughter.
I have my doubts because she sure is acting like the WFWF has already gotten into her head.
Does she really believe she is all that and a bag of chips? Did losing to Joe Bishop and Trace Demon do nothing to put her in her place?
She either dove in or was pushed into the deep end of the pool. She came up short, way short. Then she took her ball and ran home to the comfort of legends who lied to her. They told her they supported her and that she could be a great pro wrestler.
At least, that’s how I picture it. All those Ahriman’s, McGurk’s, Shannon’s, and even the ghost of Malakai telling her she really does deserve a spot at the very top of the WFWF.
It pains me that she has bought into a bunch of bullsh*t. Why oh why couldn’t you have been smart about your pro wrestling career?
I would have welcomed you with open arms into Legacy, where you could have learned the art of combat sports against opponents equally young and hungry. A year or two honing your skills and paying your dues in Legacy would have prepared you for the WFWF far more than a bunch of pep talks from biased family and friends.
But instead of playing it smart, you let people get inside your head until you actually believed that you are some kind of second coming, a phoenix rising from the ashes of your father’s career to dominate the WFWF for years to come.
Or was it the money? Did you see all those zeroes in that contract Lila placed in front of you and lose all sense of reality? Did you presume that your actual worth was equal to the projected worth the WFWF suits placed on you just because you are an Ahriman?
You let this place get to you before you ever stepped foot in a ring. You mistook the suits desire to make money off your name as a sign that you are that damn good. You mistook the well intentioned words of support from your extended family as a confirmation that you are that damn good.
You’re not.
Oh you have skills, more than most youngsters fresh on the scene. But you still have miles to go before you are in my league.
Quite frankly, I’m tired of all the damn talking. I’m following your father’s advice and trying to keep a level head. I’m trying to approach every match as a test of skill and leave my emotions in the locker room.
You have pushed me to the limit though. You have run your mouth off so much attacking not only my skills, my manager, and my ally but also my character. That’s where I have to draw the line.
You made this personal. You made this about more than just getting a win. You made this about me having to prove who and what I am. There can be no doubts or else the revolution suffers. I won’t let that happen.
Last year it would have been a bad thing for me to have a personal stake in a match. I couldn’t control my anger and on more than one occasion it cost me.
I’m better at handling my anger now. I can control it. I can channel it, adding it to my in ring skills to create the perfect lethal weapon.
Don’t listen to all the people telling you that you can beat me, whether they think it is because you have the skill or they just place a higher value on the Ahriman name than you rightfully deserve.
Listen to me.
If you don’t let this place f*ck with your head you could go far.
One day you could live up to the potential and hype that comes with being an Ahriman.
Pacific Rim won’t be the time or place.
Pacific Rim belongs to me.
I will beat you and place myself firmly in top tier of WFWF superstars ready to challenge for and claim championship gold because that is what is best for me and the revolution.
I will beat you because you need to learn respect for both the business and the other wrestlers. You got too much too fast. I’m going to take some of it back.
I will beat you because you made this personal and a pissed off Frank Lynn is truly a lethal weapon.
The lethal weapon is aimed right between your eyes. My finger is on the trigger and yes, it is itchy… so very very itchy.
Rome : 92 B.C.
Quintus Poppaedius Silo, a free man of the Marsi province in Italy and veteran of the Roman legions, entered the domus of Roman patrician Marcus Livius Drusus. A slave led him through the atrium to the study where his master was sipping wine while reading through some scrolls.
Marcus invites Quintus to join him in a glass which another slave pours before leaving the two men to their private discussion. After the usual exchange of pleasantries and exchanging of gossip, Quintus turns the conversation to serious matters.
Do you remember the battle in Gaul?
How could I forget? Eighty thousand soldiers dead at the hands of the Germanic tribes. It was a rout and an embarrassment to Rome. All because of one stubborn patrician who refused to work with troops made up from the capite censi.
[Note: The capite censi or head count were non-citizens of Rome and its provinces, the second lowest of all social classes above only freed slaves. The name comes from these people having to be counted by head during a census instead of by landholdings. They were the blue collar working class of the Republic of Rome. For readability, I will refer to the capite censi and freed slave classes as free men.]
One noble citizen of Rome caused the deaths of so many of my fellow free men. The only punishment he received was exile to a distant province, free to take his money and slaves with him to live in luxury.
You don’t have to point out the fallacies of the Roman dignitas, particularly when it comes to our incompetent military leaders.
Drusus was one of those rare patricians who was less concerned with his dignitas than most. The defeat in Gaul had cured him of that particular character flaw common to his noble class. He placed the health and well being of the people above all else.
Are you aware of how many families found themselves with no husband and no father, unable to earn sufficient income to stay out of debt? And are you aware how many of those women and children were sold into slavery to pay off the debts they would never repay? Is that how the noble Romans reward the families of the men who sacrificed themselves for Rome?
Damn it Quintus, you know I am on your side. I was one of the few survivors at Gaul just like you. I’ve seen how the Senate treats the free men of Italy and other provinces. It cannot be allowed to continue.
Good. I’m happy that we have one advocate in the Senate. Are you aware of the census that will be taken this year?
Of course I am. The new censors have promised to use new methods for a more thorough and accurate census. The Senate fears too many free men have falsely claimed and been granted citizenship in the past. They intend to clean up the books.
Do you know how they intend to do this?
They will send representatives to each province, or hire local officials if need be. Every citizen on the rolls must present themselves to be judged.
Quintus guided the conversation into the realms of hypotheticals, that being a favorite pastime for many would be philosophers and aspiring politicians. It gave Romans the opportunity to practice their rhetoric in even the most casual conversation. It also allowed them to talk of subjects that in different circumstances would get them exiled or executed. The walls really did have ears, in the form of slaves who could get their freedom and citizenship if they turned their master in to the authorities.
What would a fine Roman like yourself say if I told you many of the representatives can be bought and that many free men will buy their citizenship?
I’d say that it is my duty as a Roman to report you to the tribunal so you could be brought up on charges of treason.
What if I told you those same free men who would be citizens are gathering weapons and organizing militias? What if they want their citizenship so bad that if they can’t buy it, they will take it by force?
My answer is the same. No matter how distasteful it would be, as a Roman I can brook no actions that hurt Rome.
Then it is a good thing we are dealing in hypotheticals my old friend, isn’t it?
Yes, it is. Consider this. A civil war would hurt not only Rome but all of Italy. Everybody would suffer, citizens and free men alike. I have a different plan in mind.
What would that be?
I will get elected Tribune of the Plebs. Once in office, I will introduce new laws slowly improving conditions for the free men. When the time is right, I will get the free men of Italy… ALL of them… their rightful Roman citizenship.
Your silver tongue will do what a hundred thousand swords cannot?
Yes, if you give me time. What do you think of that?
I wouldn’t object. In fact, I encourage you to do it.
What would your hypothetical friend do? Would he wait and see or is he set on his course?
Oh, I doubt he thinks you can convince the stubborn old fools in the Senate but he wishes you luck. It is a peaceful solution but if you don’t hurry, he won’t wait. The free men have waited long enough.
That is bad news for us all. We’ve both seen enough of war in our time. I much prefer drinking wine together.
As do I. I would enjoy drinking more with you but I must go now.
Will you come see me again before another year passes?
It’s hard to say. I don’t think either of us will have any time for social visits.
They both knew this was the last time they would see each other. Quintus would proceed with his “hypothetical” illegal plans to gain citizenship for as many free men as possible, even if it meant civil war. He would never involve Marcus in his plans because that would lead to Marcus facing a trial for treason thus losing his chance to become Tribune of the Plebs. Two friends brought together in war and separated in peace because one is a patrician of Rome and the other a common man of Marsi.
Marcus did exactly as he said he would. He won the election to become Tribune of the Plebs. His eloquent speeches swayed enough of the patricians to his side and he got the first of his laws passed. This angered the boni, the conservative faction of the Senate. In 91 B.C., Marcus was assassinated in his own home. His silver tongue was silenced and his reforms were quickly redacted by the boni.
Quintus also continued with his plans. Thousands of free men bribed the census and became citizens leading to a witch hunt to identify all the false citizens and punish them. Many were flogged and forced into slavery. Others fled their homes to distant provinces. A hundred thousand free men in Italy rose up in armed rebellion with Silo as their leader. For a brief time it looked like the rebellion might succeed but the money and resources available to the Roman nobles was too much and the rebellion was crushed. Quintus died on the field of battle in 88 B.C. In an odd twist of fate, he was slain by Marcus’ brother.
One revolutionary who tried to win through words.
One revolutionary who tried to win through force.
Two men who died for a lost cause and became historical footnotes.
WFWF Pacific Rim RP
The Center Must Hold
featuring Frank Lynn
Vancouver : August 17, 2017 : Pacific Rim
It might shock people to hear me say it, but my problem with Anna has very little to do with her name and how she used it to get a job in the WFWF. I can relate because my name is what got me a job here too.
Neither of us spent any time paying our dues in the indies. The WFWF execs saw our names and that was enough to get us a shot.
I got signed by the WFWF because I made the name Frank Lynn mean something in combat sports. I wasn’t a professional wrestler but I put in the work as an amateur wrestler in the NCAA and an MMA fighter in the Guerrilla Fighting League. Seven years of experience in combat sports prepared me for success in the WFWF.
I earned my spot.
And I keep on earning it by showing up week after week pushing every opponent to their limits. Ask Joe Bishop, who may have beat me but was flat on his back when the ref raised his arm in victory. I pushed the best wrestler in the world to his absolute limit.
Anna got signed to a WFWF contract straight out of high school because her name is Ahriman. Yes, that’s nepotism, which Anna freely admits and it should offend some WFWF wrestlers like Sean Casey, a twenty year veteran of the indies who is just now getting his chance in the WFWF. It bothers me, but in the same way a mosquito bite bothers me. A minor irritant easily ignored. Nepotism exists everywhere. It’s a part of life we have to accept. Its not always a bad thing either. Look at Scarlett Quinn, Ken Griffey Jr., or either of the Manning boys who successfully followed in their father’s footsteps.
It started to bother me though when Anna let it go to her head.
She debuted in the WFWF as part of a tournament to crown a new world champion because her name is Ahriman. She comes to the ring firing insults at much more accomplished wrestlers and acting like a self-entitled whiny little b*tch because her last name is Ahriman. She really thinks she deserves to be a top tier main event player because her last name is Ahriman.
Really? Being an Ahriman means that much? Anna’s sh*t don’t stink because her name is Ahriman?
Don’t make me laugh.
Too late. I’m laughing so hard my eyes are watering and my gut hurts.
The only thing her last name signifies is that twenty years ago her father stuck his sword in her mother and left behind a red headed bundle of bad attitude. Having interacted with her on several occasions, I wish someone had educated young Samael on the merits of birth control.
Can you blame Anna for taking what was given to her by the star struck suits in management who know the name Ahriman on the marquee will put asses in the seats?
Let me think about that.
Yes, I can blame her.
Because she let it go to her head and believes she is better than the rest of us poor dumb shmucks who actually worked to get here and should bow down to the next generation of almighty Ahrimans.
Sorry little girl, you won’t win any matches by flashing your birth certificate.
It’s time to put an end to all the hand outs you are getting because of your name.
It’s time you started earning something instead of having it handed to you.
The WFWF is my home now and you are trying to sneak in through the bathroom window. You will find me sitting on the couch with a beer in one hand and a loaded shotgun in the other.
This is my house. If you can’t come in through the front door, then get the f*ck out.
Framingham, MA : July 20, 2017
I am the lord of my domain.
Heh heh. One hell of a pompous way to say “I own a house” but it works for me. My friends would say it was a long time coming. Between the money I inherited last year, the return on my investment in Legacy, and my ample WFWF income I really had no excuse to stay in my humble yet expensive Boston apartment.
So, with a little help from Sarah who did the searching for me while I was busy with WFWF business, I found this place. A two story ranch house on a five acre estate in Framingham. Used to be part of a much larger farm, but the fields were sold as a separate lot to a neighboring farmer. I got enough land to guarantee my privacy, and a nice four bedroom house that gives me room for a family - if I ever find the time to date, marry, f*ck, and have a brat or two.
There is one other nice feature of the property: a large barn in the back yard. My first order of business was hiring a contractor to renovate and convert the barn. It is now a fully equipped gym complete with wrestling ring, bleacher seats for fifty people, and an HVAC system so I can use it year round. I can train right here in my own home instead of losing hours every day to Boston traffic. Oh, I’ll still drop by the Legacy facilities so I can get some sparring in but most days I’ll have my trainers come here so I can devote even more time to working on my physical conditioning and in ring skills.
Ugh. I can just imagine someone being bored to tears hearing me ramble on about my new digs. Good for you. You bought a house and fixed it up. F*ck you, you rich boring bastard. Imagine if I mentioned that I paid cash. Yeah, the haters would really jump on that.
Good thing no one can read my thoughts, eh? Inner monologues should stay inner, right?
If people could read my thoughts, I think they’d find some good stuff. I’m not just sitting on a deck attached to a house built on a piece of land that I can call mine. I’m looking at something my life has been building to for two and a half decades. This house and this land is a metaphor or a simile or alliteration or something like that. You’d have to ask Ante Whitner which one it is, he’s the resident WFWF literary expert. I’m not inclined to care enough to look it up.
See, buying this house is just like coming to the WFWF. I’ve spent my entire adult life wandering from one place to another trying to find the one that feels like home. I tried boxing, kickboxing, and then settled on MMA for a few years but it never felt quite right. Then I came to the WFWF. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was home.
I felt it the moment I walked to the ring for my first match just like I felt the first time I stepped into this house. I can’t describe the exact feeling but everyone knows it. Best comparison I can make is remember how you felt when you bought your first new car, the perfect extension of your personality that inspired you to take three hour drives to no where just because you were driving your car and you owned the road.
Problem is, as much as the house felt like home, it needed work. There is always something that needs to be fixed or could use some improvement. Much like the WFWF. I like it in the WFWF but am not blind to the fact that there is room for improvement.
As far as the house and the barn went, it was easy. Open my checkbook to a contractor, tell him what work I wanted done, and let him have at it.
That’s where the simile or metaphor or whatever the hell this is falls apart. I’d love to pay a contractor to renovate the WFWF but its not that simple.
Nope. The WFWF is difficult. Its going to take something big to make even the smallest change.
I have to draw him out of hiding.
Huh?
Sarah is understandably confused by my random comment. For all she knows I am talking about Doctor Claw, who has been so busy exploring his vastly expanded cat universe that I only see him when he wants food. She turns to me, sipping her iced tea and waiting for me to elaborate.
I let her stew for a moment, taking the time to enjoy the view. She changed her looks recently in most dramatic fashion: cut her hair short, dyed it a different color, and got colored contact lenses. No longer a green eyed red head. Now a blue eyed strawberry blonde. Still sexy as hell, ‘specially in her tank top and Daisy Duke shorts, but definitely not Becky’s doppelgänger. I can finally see her as Sarah instead of the reincarnation of my dead girlfriend and I like what I see.
Now we’re leaving the friends zone but for what I’m not quite sure. Not a couple, not even friends with benefits, but still way more than friends. Best to borrow from Facebook: it’s complicated.
Enough letting her stew. I can see the impatience building in her expression. I’ve learned that Sarah has almost as short a temper as I do and I am not in the mood to face her anger today.
The owner.
Aren’t you the owner?
She better be kidding. If not, then she's nowhere near as smart as I give her credit for.
I’m talking about the WFWF.
Oh right. Always thinking about your revolution, eh?
Yep. Dealing with Lila is pointless. She’s a puppet. The owner is the puppet master. I have to get him to come out of the closet.
Isn’t that risky? If he doesn’t like what you have to say, you could lose your job… and all of this.
Sarah emphasizes her point by waving an arm out sweeping across the view from the deck facing the back yard, the hot tub (as per Daphne’s suggestion), the converted barn, the lone car I retained from Paulie’s collection: a black ’67 Chevy Impala that looks like it came straight off the set of Supernatural (which is why I kept it), the outhouse (yes, the original outhouse has been maintained all these years and yes, you can take a sh*t in it if you are allergic to indoor plumbing).
I sigh. She’s missing the big picture. I’m an asset to the WFWF at a time when they can’t afford to lose any more talent. If they can put up with Trace Demon or Phillip Schneider then I’m not too worried about my job security. I can be difficult but I am not a problem child like so many others. My job is secure.
It won’t come to that.
I hope not. I could grow very fond of all of this.
Again with the arm waving motion. I may be dense when it comes to the fairer sex, but even I can’t miss that one. Sarah is being as subtle as a flashing neon sign.
Good. Get used to it.
I will. So let’s play out this little thought experiment of yours. How’re you going to draw out the owner?
Fan support. The flyers and social media stuff are working. I heard that Lila had to hire a new intern just to sift through all the e-mails and tweets from my supporters.
I was skeptical when Scott suggested the flyer campaign and flat out shocked when it actually worked. Thousand of fans joining the cause. Makes you feel good about yourself.
So you’re going to annoy him until he responds?
If that is what it takes. Sooner or later, he has to answer to the paying customers.
Assume that your campaign works and you annoy him into action. Then what?
Hell, I’m not sure. I guess I talk to him. Make him realize that when he bought the WFWF he assumed responsibility to give the fans the best product possible.
I really shouldn’t have to explain it to the new owner but its hard to know where he stands when he won’t even show his face. Hell, I don’t even know if it is a he or a she.
How can I form a strategy without knowing if the owner is a life long wrestling fan, a former wrestler, a businessman looking to expand his empire, or just some nouveau rich f*ck that sold his soul to Trace Demon?
Damn it, I want to know who the f*cking boss is! He is the real King of the Sh*t Show and he has a lot to answer for.
No offense, but the WFWF is doing quite well right now. I follow the financials as part of my work for Legacy, you know. The switch to regular PPVs is working so far. Fans are buying in. They enjoy the sh*t show, as you like to call it.
Because thats all they’ve seen for years. Some of them… enough of them… are coming around. I just have to keep the pressure on until something cracks.
You do realize you are being stubborn, right?
Duh. Stubbornness ranks just behind ego as the most common trait shared by all professional wrestlers. Without a little bit of both, you aren’t going anywhere.
Yes.
And there is very little chance any of this will work.
I can tell from her tone that she is enjoying her role as devil’s advocate. It keeps me on my toes but honestly, I don’t know how much more I can take. I get enough of people trying to tear me down in the WFWF. I don’t need it when I come home.
I have to try.
Why?
Because its worth doing.
And because I didn’t start winning the “big one” until after I fully embraced the revolution. I needed some inspiration to get over the hump and the revolution is it. No turning back now.
You should prepare yourself.
For what?
You may have to be the one to change, not the WFWF.
That would be the absolute worst case scenario. The WFWF has to change because I don’t think I can live with myself if I have to sink to the level of a Schneider or Demon. I’m lacking the assh*le gene in my DNA.
I’ll fight it to the bitter end.
Go for it. But keep in mind, the WFWF is not Legacy and you don’t have the same stroke as a wrestler that you do as an owner. Fight your revolution but have a backup plan in case it blows up in your face.
Damn her logic. Yes I should have a backup plan but a voice in my head is screaming that making a backup plan is admitting failure before I even try. So nope, no backup plan for now. There is no other option. Fight for the revolution. Win or die. For now, my life is as simple as that.
Vancouver : August 17, 2017 : Pacific Rim
Other wrestlers have been saying all kinds of sh*t about me, ‘specially from the likes of Anna Ahriman, Trace Demon and David Brennan. That’s to be expected. Its kinda’ what we wrestlers do. We play mind games and try to break our opponents’ spirit before they step foot in the ring. I take most of what has been said about me with a few thousand grains of salt.
What I didn’t expect was that Joe would say all the same things about me before our match at Confluence. He was bit nicer about it but a turd is still a turd no matter how much you try to shine it.
Joe is one of many who believes I only beat Trace Demon because of the Future’s interruption. Joe said I wasn’t ready. Joe said he was going to teach me a lesson in biding my time while I sit at his feet and learn from the master so he could pass the torch at some point in the (distant) future.
That doesn’t sound like an ally who sees me as an equal in the fight to change the WFWF for the better. That sounds like Batman reminding Robin who wears the long tights and who wears the booty shorts.
Yes sir, I’ll wash the Batmobile while you fight the Joker. I’ll sweep the Batcave while you fight the Riddler. I’ll restock your utility belt while you f*ck Catwoman. Anything you want as long as I get to be Batman when you retire.
Beating Ante Whitner, Scarlett Quinn, and Trace Demon wasn’t enough. Pushing Joe to a match as close and competitive as his tournament matches against Trace Demon and David Brennan wasn’t enough.
Apparently, I have more work to do if I am to get Joe Bishop’s respect.
I have to beat Anna Ahriman clean in a pure match of wrestling skill and athleticism to cement my spot as a top player in the WFWF and as an equal partner in the revolution.
Sucks to be you, Anna. As if I needed more motivation to beat you than simply shutting you up. The revolution is everything to me and beating you has become very important to keeping the revolution strong.
Nervous yet?
Edmonton : July 29, 2017 : Heading West
Act two of the Join the Revolution! campaign went well. Daphne is watching the activity on Twitter and judging by how quickly she is scrolling and refreshing, there is a hell of a lot of activity to watch.
Not even Anna Ahriman’s unwelcome presence could dilute the message tonight. I’m going to enjoy shutting her up at Pacific Rim. She worked hard to make our match personal. She succeeded. More than the revolution is on the line. So is my reputation.
The locker room door swings open and Joe Bishop walks in, looking even more intense than usual for the World Champion.
Ever hear of knocking?
And Daphne is off and running. Joe said some things to her and about her that pissed her off. Never piss off a Latina woman. Its safer to stick you fingers in an electric socket.
Joe completely ignores Daphne and speaks directly to me. Might as well stick his fingers in an electric socket while standing in water.
We have to talk. You need to stop this campaign of yours.
I don’t get to respond. Daphne’s been waiting for a chance to unload on Joe.
Really? Why should we stop? Because you say so?
I try to give Daphne a look that says “please stop”. Either I fail miserably or she doesn’t care because there’s no stopping this train. She has Joe’s attention now and I can see that he isn’t interested in anything Daphne has to say.
Would you stay out of this? Frank and I are trying to make a difference and you’re not helping. Your tweets are making us look like fools.
I want to tell Joe the social media campaign came from the mind of a marketing expert from Joshua Dean’s agency but I still can’t get a word in. Daphne is in Joe’s face talking so fast I can barely understand her.
Isn’t that special? The Brit is giving the American advice on how to win a revolution. Let me tell you something your lordship. You don’t know the first thing about…
Red alert! DEFCON 4! This is about to end very badly if I don’t do something.
DAPHNE! JOE!
Okay, now they’re both looking at me like a hungry lion looks at a lame zebra.
Please, can we bring it down a notch or two? Discuss this like adults?
Nope. I can tell from the looks on their faces that these two are not going to play nice. One of them has to go. Sorry Daphne, it’s more important that I talk to Joe.
Daphne, why don’t you take a walk, get some fresh air? Joe and I have business to discuss.
Daphne gives me a dirty look before heading towards the door, making sure to push Joe out of her way while muttering under her breath. Joe shows remarkable restraint all things considered. So does Daphne given that she was just dismissed like a scolded child.
Quiero ser luchador mi culo. Soy un campeón del mundo como tú, estúpido hijo de puta.
Ouch. You know Daphne is pissed when she goes full on Spanish. I’ve picked up enough from being around her to hope Joe doesn’t speak the language. I don’t think he would appreciate being called the illegitimate offspring of a female dog.
I’m sorry, Joe. Daphne is not happy with some of the things you've said recently.
Can’t say that I blame her but I’m not going to mention that to Joe. I’ll be a buffer between my manager and my ally to keep the revolution going strong.
I don’t think she is good for you. You should be concentrating on having good clean technical matches. That will attract the fans of true wrestling. You can’t market the revolution as a trendy brand. We don’t need the kind of people it attracts.
We don’t? I’d say we need somebody, anybody to join our cause because all you got for a year of preaching was me. Good thing too because I’m doing something.
It’s easy to talk about leading by example when you’ve had it easy. That’s right. Check the tapes. The only time you’ve had any shenanigans happen is in tag matches with Ante or me as your partner. Your rise to the top of the WFWF has been surprisingly smooth, even in matches with notorious wrestlers like Trace Demon and David Brennan.
What is it that feeds your staunch belief that the WFWF needs cleaning up? Can it really be as simple as righteous indignation on behalf of the rest of us who are constant victims of the bullsh*t?
It really makes me wonder what happened during your last hiatus. Show me on the doll where the bad man touched you. It would shed so much light on who you really are.
I disagree. The fans who show up in the arenas and buy every PPV are exactly the people we need to reach and convert. They are the very lifeblood of this business. Not the wrestlers. Not the suits. The fans.
Blank look on Joe’s face. Is he not getting my point? Or is he not pleased that I have a different viewpoint than he does?
Without them we have nothing. With them, we have an army. An army of paying customers who if they complain loud enough and long enough will force the suits to respond.
Still with the blank look. Joe is locked into this “my way or the highway” attitude. I don’t want to lose him as an ally. I have to break that attitude, make him see that there are other options.
You’re a bright guy, Frank. Bright guys have ideas. Not all of them are good ideas though. Get with the program. Go out there and put on great matches. That’s all we need to do. Change will come.
Sure it will… sometime around 2025… IF the rest of the roster will let us have clean matches. IF wrestlers like Schneider, the Future, and Gotch would stop crawling out of the woodwork. IF the Lizzie Hyde's would stick around for longer than five minutes. IF you aren’t willing to try a more aggressive approach.
I don’t mind trying something else… IF the idea is a good one. This marketing campaign isn’t a good idea.
I have the feeling that no idea I come up with would be a good one. I should have expected this. Joe’s convictions aren’t limited to just wanting the WFWF to change. They also include how that change should come about. I thought I could be stubborn. Joe puts me to shame.
Having the belt around his waist makes Joe a little more comfortable with the long approach. I don’t have a belt and honestly doubt I will get one until AFTER things change. There will always be a Demon or Ahriman who is willing to do what I won’t so they can be a champion.
That’s why I won’t give up on the revolution and why I won’t give up on this alliance with Joe. He won’t compromise so its up to me.
How about this? I’ll back off on the “Join the Revolution!” campaign until after Pacific Rim. I really should be giving Anna Ahriman one hundred per cent of my attention anyway.
Good. The best thing you can do for yourself and the cause is to beat Anna in the ring fair and square.
I pull a book out of my gym bag, a housewarming gift from Sarah to help fill the shelves in my library. She knows that I like to read about history so she gave me a book on Ancient Rome.
I enjoyed reading the book despite the transparent reason she gave it to me. The fall of the Republic was full of idealists trying to change the world who failed: Gaius Marius, Lucius Sulla, Spartacus, Pompey the Great, Caesar, Cicero, etc. No matter what method any of them tried, the decline from republic into empire was inevitable and unstoppable. Sarah was sending me a not so subtle message that she doesn’t think the revolution will succeed.
I got a completely different message from reading the book. I read the stories of Marcus Drusus and Quintus Silo. Two men who had the same goals but came from different classes and had different methods. They failed as individuals. Had they been able to work together they could have succeeded.
Do I have to spell it out for the mentally challenged? United we stand, divided we fall.
An obvious and simple lesson I need to be sure Joe knows. Our alliance can’t fall apart because we can’t agree on a strategy. That would be stupid.
Take this. Read it. Pay special attention to the chapters on Drusus, Silo, and the Social War of 91 to 88 B.C.
Ancient Rome? What the hell does that have to do with the WFWF?
Nothing. Everything. Just read the damn book! Can you give just a little?
Please, just read it. If it doesn’t change your mind about the marketing campaign then I’ll consider ending it permanently. Try to come up with something else that we can both agree on.
If you think its worth it then I’ll try to make the time.
Thanks. You should probably go now. I have to smooth things over with Daphne. You saw the mood she was in. I have my work cut out for me.
We all do.
Joe leaves with the same intense look as when he entered. I kept our alliance alive but I can’t let Joe and Daphne be in the same room again. I barely averted disaster this time.
I really hope Joe reads the book and takes away the same message I did. We need to work together. We need to listen to each other’s ideas with an open mind. I’m too pro-active to sit around waiting for “lead by example” to work, not when there are other methods I think can work much faster. Joe has to understand that and work with me.
Vancouver : August 17, 2017 : Pacific Rim
I sincerely hope Anna realizes what is at stake in our match. I know she can be a self-absorbed brat but she has to be aware of what is going on around us.
David Brennan’s career is on the line at Pacific Rim against the best wrestler in the world: WFWF World Heavyweight Champion Joe Bishop.
My money is on Joe successfully defending his title and Brennan taking a long walk into the sunset immediately afterwards.
Brennan won’t be taking his collection of belts with him when he goes. Lila will have to crown new champions and do it quickly. Nobody ever bought a ticket to see Vacant defend his International Championship.
Every Tom, Dick, and Jane in the WFWF is going to scramble to fill the void left by Brennan. Demon, Crowe, Whitner, and Schneider have to be at the top of the list but there are few others who could also be considered.
Frank Lynn and Anna Ahriman.
Even that podcasting hack Mike Hickenbottom sees it and he is a basement dwelling idiot infamous for getting things wrong. Anybody else remember how he ranked Kyzer at #1 after SuperBrawl. Where is the God of F*ck now?
Hickenbottom’s latest power rankings have both Anna and I ranked pretty high and poised for a breakthrough should Brennan come up short.
I won’t argue against his high opinion of me. I happen to agree because wins over Whitner and Demon are not easy to come by yet I have beaten both in the past few months.
On the other hand, Anna Ahriman hasn’t done sh*t to deserve any kind of title shot, at least not yet. If she’s smart, she knows beating me could be the stepping stone that propels her into contention. I’m not sure she is that smart though, based on how she continues to act like an idiot coming to the ring telling me that I am the problem with the WFWF.
How can she turn a blind eye after seeing her father’s career end with him stuck to the mat by his own sword? How can she condone the constant criminal assaults by Trace Demon, Phillip Schneider, and Jon Gotch?
How can she defend the honor of a god damned sh*t show that is completely without honor?
Is it possible that she does’t give a flying f*ck about the state of the WFWF? Could she be playing all of us?
Maybe she believes by putting me in the role of the white hat wearing hero in this match that I will roll over and play dead for her because she is a woman and it should offend my honor to hit a woman.
Newsflash Anna: chivalry is dead.
What may be true outside of the ring doesn’t mean sh*t once we’re in the ring and the bell sounds. I’m not holding any doors open for you to walk through. In fact, I’m going to slam the door in your face because if there are any title shots to be earned from this match then I want to be the person earning them.
Just imagine what it would mean for the revolution if we have both the World and International Championships. Hell, why not go after the Tag Titles too. We did pretty good as a team until Trace pulled out the handcuffs. The rest of the locker room would have to pay attention if we can grab all the gold. It would be undeniable proof that our way works.
Add that to the growing list of reasons motivating me to win.
Are you nervous now, Anna? You should be. Frankly, you should be beyond nervous and well into scared sh*tless.
Framingham : August 7, 2017
I’m working the heavy bag while Daphne holds it, trying to bury my thoughts behind a haze of maximum physical exertion.
It’s not working.
The past few weeks my life has been dominated by harpies, each one screeching and clawing at me, trying to pull me in every direction at once.
Sarah is tearing away at my connection to the revolution. Daphne is tearing away at my connection to Joe Bishop. Joe, who has definite diva qualities which qualifies him to be a harpy despite the incorrect sexual apparatus, is tearing away at my connection to Daphne. And circling menacingly in the distance waiting for her chance to tear me into little pieces is Anna Ahriman.
Christ, what a f*cking mess. I’m stuck in a bad position where there doesn’t seem to be a clear path to pleasing all of them… not that I actually want to please Anna. I just want her to shut up. It would be nice to get Sarah, Daphne, and Joe on the same page. I may need a miracle for that.
So here I am beating the holy hell out of the heavy bag hoping to push all of it out of my head so I can focus on my match. I have no doubts that a win will go a long way towards resolving my harpy issues while a loss would be devastating.
I’m leaning heavily on my most trusted friend, Daphne. Of all the harpies, she is the only one who has sacrificed anything for me, the only one to give more than they take. I can question her actions but never her intentions. She always wants what is best for me.
I still can’t believe you caved to Joe. Scott’s social media campaign was working.
I stop hitting the bag and lean in to hug it, my face mere inches from Daphne’s.
But Joe didn’t approve. He’s the power player in our alliance. Joe gives the revolution legitimacy.
Joe? Or the belt around his waist?
*shrug*
Some alliance. He says “Sh*t” and you say “What color?”
*sigh*
Too late to change it now. What’s done is done. No more tweets until you change your mind.
See? Daphne sacrifices for me yet again. Just like she sacrificed a little piece of her reputation as a pro wrestler when she took on - and lost - to the self-entitled princess of the Ahriman clan.
It’s only temporary, until we can discuss it again after Pacific Rim. For now we can focus entirely on beating the Ahriman brat.
In that case, less talk and more work!
Yes ma’am! Jab jab hook kick kick
I’ve been in the ring with both of you. There’s no comparison. She’s faster but this isn’t a foot race. It’s a fight.
Jab hook uppercut knee
All you have to do is catch her just once.
Elbow elbow spinning back fist
BOOM! Hit your power moves. Put her down and out!
Front kick elbow uppercut super kick CRASH OUCH
Crash? Ouch?
My last super kick knocked the bag right off its hook on top of Daphne. She is laughing, almost maniacally like a cartoon villain.
That’s what I’m talking about! Now get this thing off me so we can keep going.
That’s my manager. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Just like me.
I won’t allow myself to be a one hit wonder. My win over Trace Demon wasn’t a fluke. The loss to Joe Bishop wasn’t as good as it gets. I can do better.
I’m going to dominate Anna Ahriman. I doubt she knew what she was getting into when she called me out. Now its too late for her to back out. She thinks being an Ahriman makes her hot sh*t. Fine. I’ll take great pleasure in adding the Ahriman name to the list of foes I’ve beaten.
Jab hook uppercut elbow elbow knee knee spinning heel kick
Daphne is smiling, not one of those warm and fuzzy smiles either. If she had a mustache she would be twirling it. She smells the blood in the water. She knows I’m a shark and Anna is a bucket of chum.
Vancouver : August 17, 2017 : Pacific Rim
If you don’t let this place f*ck with your head you could go far.
I only had one very brief conversation with Samael Ahriman, immediately after I won my debut match against Mike Jette. That’s when he shared those words of wisdom with me.
I have to wonder if he bothered to share that same advice with his own daughter.
I have my doubts because she sure is acting like the WFWF has already gotten into her head.
Does she really believe she is all that and a bag of chips? Did losing to Joe Bishop and Trace Demon do nothing to put her in her place?
She either dove in or was pushed into the deep end of the pool. She came up short, way short. Then she took her ball and ran home to the comfort of legends who lied to her. They told her they supported her and that she could be a great pro wrestler.
At least, that’s how I picture it. All those Ahriman’s, McGurk’s, Shannon’s, and even the ghost of Malakai telling her she really does deserve a spot at the very top of the WFWF.
It pains me that she has bought into a bunch of bullsh*t. Why oh why couldn’t you have been smart about your pro wrestling career?
I would have welcomed you with open arms into Legacy, where you could have learned the art of combat sports against opponents equally young and hungry. A year or two honing your skills and paying your dues in Legacy would have prepared you for the WFWF far more than a bunch of pep talks from biased family and friends.
But instead of playing it smart, you let people get inside your head until you actually believed that you are some kind of second coming, a phoenix rising from the ashes of your father’s career to dominate the WFWF for years to come.
Or was it the money? Did you see all those zeroes in that contract Lila placed in front of you and lose all sense of reality? Did you presume that your actual worth was equal to the projected worth the WFWF suits placed on you just because you are an Ahriman?
You let this place get to you before you ever stepped foot in a ring. You mistook the suits desire to make money off your name as a sign that you are that damn good. You mistook the well intentioned words of support from your extended family as a confirmation that you are that damn good.
You’re not.
Oh you have skills, more than most youngsters fresh on the scene. But you still have miles to go before you are in my league.
Quite frankly, I’m tired of all the damn talking. I’m following your father’s advice and trying to keep a level head. I’m trying to approach every match as a test of skill and leave my emotions in the locker room.
You have pushed me to the limit though. You have run your mouth off so much attacking not only my skills, my manager, and my ally but also my character. That’s where I have to draw the line.
You made this personal. You made this about more than just getting a win. You made this about me having to prove who and what I am. There can be no doubts or else the revolution suffers. I won’t let that happen.
Last year it would have been a bad thing for me to have a personal stake in a match. I couldn’t control my anger and on more than one occasion it cost me.
I’m better at handling my anger now. I can control it. I can channel it, adding it to my in ring skills to create the perfect lethal weapon.
Don’t listen to all the people telling you that you can beat me, whether they think it is because you have the skill or they just place a higher value on the Ahriman name than you rightfully deserve.
Listen to me.
If you don’t let this place f*ck with your head you could go far.
One day you could live up to the potential and hype that comes with being an Ahriman.
Pacific Rim won’t be the time or place.
Pacific Rim belongs to me.
I will beat you and place myself firmly in top tier of WFWF superstars ready to challenge for and claim championship gold because that is what is best for me and the revolution.
I will beat you because you need to learn respect for both the business and the other wrestlers. You got too much too fast. I’m going to take some of it back.
I will beat you because you made this personal and a pissed off Frank Lynn is truly a lethal weapon.
The lethal weapon is aimed right between your eyes. My finger is on the trigger and yes, it is itchy… so very very itchy.
I dont know good luck