Journey to Wolfslair: Chapter 1, Japanese Odyssey Part 4
Dec 15, 2020 3:32:33 GMT -5
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Post by Aiden Reynolds on Dec 15, 2020 3:32:33 GMT -5
Dangerous recognition.
When you’re at a crossroads in life and you wonder where to go it’s not always advisable to shut yourself off. Friendship in this business is a valuable commodity. Something that can’t be traded or given away. Not the acquaintance type, not where you see one another once a week and smile, do the pleasantries. Real friendship. A bond of brotherhood. When you have that and you choose to turn away…
Well, that’s on you.
When you lose that and find yourself alone with nowhere to turn?. You’ll crumble, you’ll break and there is nothing that can stop it. A life full of regret will always weigh heavy on the soul. Aiden felt it, he had it on his mind and in his heart.
A broken heart…
Late 2018.
The locker room had never felt so empty and alone. Even with other wrestlers walking in and out Aiden felt like it was a blank void and no one noticed or wanted to talk to him. In fact the last few weeks had been like that. The boys had started treating him differently. From the moment he and Etsukio had started seeing each other people turned on him. Guys he’d known for the last year, ones he had been out drinking with, on excursion with had unturned their backs. They wouldn’t say hello, they wouldn’t shake his hand. It was like Aiden was on an island. An island where he only had himself.
That wasn’t true of course.
He still had Etsuko, daughter of the company's chairman and owner. And Kyle Overton, his British tag team partner and someone who was also his best friend and roommate. But for Aiden he was alone. He was put out by himself where no one would talk to him, or even make eye contact. He just went about his business, he would go to the ring, do his work and then when the bell rang he would drag himself backstage. Back to solitude. A self imposed one.
He had talked to Kyle, but brushed him off if he asked too many questions. He had just been quiet, which set off alarm bells for Kyle as Aiden usually never shuts up. And what's worse, he had been avoiding Etsuko. Sending one word text messages, making excuses to hang up the calls after mere moments and cancelling dates. It hurt to do, but he had no idea what he should do after seeing her father, after the attack and warning. So he bought time, secretly hoping maybe she would lose interest in him, think he was an asshole.; It would be better that way.
Or so he thought.
“Mate?” Aiden snapped out of his deep thought, he was still in his gear, a white towel around his neck and one of his knee pads pulled down. He looked up to find Kyle standing in front of him with a small grin. “Earth to Aiden, you there brother?” Aiden swallowed hard and cleared his throat giving Kyle a small nod of acknowledgement but saying nothing. Kyle smirked and moved to the side looking over at the locker room door, Aiden raised his eyebrow as he saw her. Etsuko. She was wearing a black hoodie and jeans, not dressed like herself at all, her eyes looked red from crying. “She found me getting a drink….she scared the shit outa me.” Aiden stayed silent, frozen on the bench, until Kyle slapped him on the shoulder and pulled him up “Go talk to her ya big idjit…”
“What...what do I say mate?”
Kyle raised an eyebrow and looked over at Etsuko who stepped away from the door. He gave Aiden a small smile and then a hard slap on the back. “Well, could start with Hello….then the truth...and work from there…” Aiden scoffed and laughed under his breath, he smiled at Kyle and stepped forward making his way to the door pushing it open slightly to see Etsuko moving down a hallway motioning him to follow. As he reached the end an arm reached out from a room pulling him sideways. The door closed, the light turned on. It was a small office and Etsuko was there flipping her hood back.
“Hey I-” Before Aiden could talk her arms were around his neck, resting against the towel, she held him close and sighed deeply, Aiden wrapped his arms around her and sighed heavily, feeling guilty for staying away, for hiding the truth, for trying to protect her. And himself.
She stepped back looking embarrassed as her eyes trailed down from him to the floor. “I am sorry, I did not mean to do that.” She took a long deep breath as Aiden sighed and smiled. “I just...I missed you, and you have not been very reachable. Or...you did not want to see me.” Her voice turned to a whisper and she seemed to shut herself off. She was searching for answers and reasons. And she deserved them. And Aiden knew it.
He stepped forward and reached out taking her hands in his. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been fair to you.” She looked up into his eyes trying to figure out what he was doing and saying. Aiden smiled again and took a long deep breath. “It isn’t that I didn’t want to see you. I just….I’ve been dealing with a few things. And I didn’t want you involved or hurt. But that ended up hurting you.” He held her hands in his left, reaching up with his right to move a few strands of long black hair from her face while also caressing her cheek. He had missed her. She was the sweetest person he had ever known. And she deserved better. “Etusko I-”
She kissed him. No warning, no pause, her lips touched his and he relaxed, so did she. After a few moments they separated and she smiled. “It’s alright. I will stand with you Aiden. I just wish, I just wish you trusted me enough to tell me.” His heart sank, she needed to know the truth. She deserved to know the truth.
He took a deep breath and squeezed her hands. “A few weeks ago, after our last date, I put you in the cab and I got sent a strong...very strong...message. From your father…” She pulled her hands away shocked, she swallowed hard and paced back and forth, she turned to say something but Aiden put his hands up. “Let me finish.” She stepped back and sat on the edge of the desk as Aiden ran a hand over his head. “I went to see your dad, we had it out, he offered to pay out my contract as long as I left. I told him that….maybe you should make your own decisions...but...I’ve been avoiding you because I didn’t know how to tell you I saw him…”
There was silence, she seemed to be taking all the information in and Aiden had no idea what she was going to do or say. He stepped away and leaned against the wall, fearful that he just did something wrong and broke her heart, tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she looked at him. “You said no and stayed...for me?” He gave her a nod. Etsuko stepped closer, reaching down to take his hands in hers again. “This is...dangerous for you. I don’t want you hurt. Maybe you should have taken-”
Aiden raised a finger to her lips with a small sigh. “No. Just...just. No” She smiled, this was their moment. Moments they would have to steal away. Moments that were rare for them both. It was their secret now. One they both had to accept. But couldn’t…
Not forever….
Oi yeah, nah yeah nah
The webcam flicks on, showing a lounge room. A large television with a Playstation Five next to it sits proudly in front of a black leather couch. But there’s no one there, no one to greet us and say a word. After a few moments we hear an exasperated sigh and the voice of Dickie Watson from off screen.
“Mate...you gotta cut your second promo”
After a moment we hear the deeper voice of Aiden Reynolds come in from the other side.
“Nope….”
“But...you”
“NOPE.”
There’s another moment of silence. A pop of a can and a drinking sound. Another sigh from Dickie.
“Why?”
“Because...I don’t want to…”
“.....but why?”
There’s a sound of a can slamming against a table or bench, and AIden's voice heightens and moves faster with his accent shining through.
“Because I don’t want to do that much goddamn research Dimitri. I mean this Pyro dude has had one match in fuckin Honour right?. And his opponent said nothin about him, yet I’m spos’ to fuckin play mind reader and know that people in other companies ‘ave used certain cliched shit about him before…”
“I mean, it might have been but he could have watched what Contessa and Saint said about you bef-”
“THAT’S WHAT I BLOODY SAID!...”
Dickie cleared his throat, Aiden stayed quiet and gave a defeated groan before stepping into the camera holding a Mango Monster energy drink(not a sponsor) and gave a nod.
“Fine…”
He set the can down and put his hands in his pockets, showing off the brand new Commonwealth “Honour bound” T shirt. With PROPER spelling. You fucking heathens.
“So, I thought maybe, just maybe me and Pyro could have a little fun ya know? I mean I’d rag on the whole horror movie thing and have a good old laugh while still telling the world that I was a bit impressed with his in ring skills. And this fire loving octopus decided he was either going to sneak a peak at my promo or guess what I was gonna say. Now, if he did sneak a peek...that’s a bad Pyro...BAD BOY. But, if he was able to guess, well lemme put it this way. Cliches happen mate. See, you’re not the first person with the whole horror thing to roll on through wrestling. It’s a standard trope, so of course I’m gonna call that out and have a giggle. But, I ain’t seeing anyone you’ve faced use that against you in Project Honour cause your first opponent was silent.”
“So, I figured I’d get in there first and throw it at you. But then, what happened? What did you do? You watched Contessa run her dick skinner, took notes and then did the same thing. Now, what I did might have been a bit of a dick move and in bad taste...but what you did was just plain lazy…”
“See, I called attention to the fact you impressed us all with your win, while also having a laugh at your stupid horror bullshit that is over used and over celebrated.”
“So, imagine my utter annoyance and shock that you spent half your time talking about Dickie because you couldn’t be fucked finding anything original to say about me despite the fact I already have two big matches under my belt in this company against people higher on the damn pecking order than you. You have all these chances to look back at what Colton Saint and Cuntessa said about me and you…”
Aiden stops talking looking off screen at Dickie who starts to snicker.
“Grow up mate…”
“You said Cuntessa ag-”
“DIMITRI PLEASE! THIS IS SERIOUS WORK…”
Aiden takes a large drink of his Monster setting it down. (again not a sponsor….hint)
“You shit the bed Pyro. You ran your mouth about Dickie who, let's face it, ain’t gonna be giving you a title shot in the near future just because you say his name. And then when you did decide to talk about me you said some of the dumbest shit I have ever had the displeasure of hearing come out the mouth of someone who looks like a gorillas snatch grew teeth..,”
“DUDE!”
“Oi that beard looks like a silverback’s cooch…not my fault..”
There is more snickering as Aiden just shrugs.
“Look man, I get it. You decided to go stretching. Bu8t stretching for things to say but then repeating what others said cause you couldn’t find anything is lame as hell. I mean, the Australian wolf nickname? Really? That’s what you want to talk about? I’m Australian, and I train at the gym Wolfslair. Not hard to figure out, and I never once said I was a “Lone” wolf. And most wolves travel in packs so I never got the stupidity of that. But that is what you wanted to talk about? And to then try and turn it into some kind of commentary on Dickie and me? We’re friends, former tag team champions and right now he’s the world champion here, but to say he’s the “Alpha” in anything to do with me is a little misguided and lazy…”
“Now, my first match here in Project Honour, Dickie and I went against Saint and Cuntessa. We were a team, we did get the win and that was that. So your little theory about me needing him and “riding” his coattails had a little credence. Until I went out there and beat Tessa and made her tap.”
“Alone”
“One on one”
“Like I spent most of my career..”
“Those are facts mate, I know you probably have a rather loose relationship with them since you also called me lazy and slow, cause I have a wombat as a pet, and side note to that, don’t ever badmouth Willow. She’s a fuckin angel and has more personality than you. But aside from that, it kind of shows the difference between us. See, I watched your match. I saw how you move and I saw how well you go in the ring and gave you props for that. I saw the damage you can do and I know and admitted I’m in for a bloody fight.”
Aidens demeanor changes. The smile and joking smart ass nature is gone as he site down and then leans forward.
“But you? You could have looked at what I did in just my matches in Project Honour, I ain’t expecting you to go look at DIVISION, WWH or anywhere else I’ve been, but just here, now. You called me lazy and said I’d be sitting on my couch eating doritos cause you were too lazy and dumb to watch what I can do. Mate, I’m six foot tall, I’m two hundred and seventeen pounds. I have a six pack and am an athletically gifted human being. I don’t usually toot my own horn like that. In fact I usually make a joke about how I’m good looking with a strong jaw line and a great accent.”
“And you might be asking yourself, or having a chuckle thinkin you got under me skin with your ignorance, playing little mind games. But all you’ve done is piss me off. And you haven’t pissed me off by simply being lazy and copy pasting Contessa and Colton, nah, you pissed me off because I asked you to do ONE DAMN THING…..”
“Remember what it was?”
“I asked you not to underestimate me. And, hey you can say you’re not going to or that in the ring you’ll give me all you got in between vague as hell threats about setting me on fire but, truth is. You are underestimating me. You couldn’t even give me the same bloody common fucking courtesy that I did to you in recognising the in ring talent. So now, well, now I’m going to have to walk down to that ring at Unbreakable Resolution, in a match where I already had so much on the line with the legacy qualifier…..and actually be serious….and do you know how much that pisses me off?...Pyro...mate...you’re fucked..”
