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 Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2023 5:21 pm
He stared out at the night through the window of the bus as they traveled down to the next show. He wasn't exactly sure why he had agreed to it, since he was used to traveling alone, but his partner had insisted. He listened absent mindedly as his partner was on the phone, all the while mixing drinks. He took the time to study the plush surroundings. He had been on a fair share of buses, but nothing like this.
The seats were plush instead of metal,, the air wasn't stale with mold or sweat, the place had its own bar and lounge and even comfortable sleeping arrangements.
He sighed to himself as he rubbed a hand through his beard as he resumed his quiet vigil as he did his best to quiet his thoughts. He felt torn, conflicted. A part of him wanted to be done with the ride already, yet another part of him dreaded the time that they would actually arrive at the arena. It was a foreign feeling and he didn't like it. Normally he would relish the feeling of heading into battle, but with what was riding on them, he weighed on him heavily like bricks.
His mind kept drifting back to the matches with the Syndicate, where everything went wrong, first the tag match where the tag team titles slipped through their grasp and then to the main event where he was humiliated further at the hands of the champion and the final image that had seared themselves in his head, the Syndicate holding all the gold and he and Salem being powerless to stop it.
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Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 8:54 pm
After a moment, Salem entered back into the lounge area where Erynys awaited, one hand holding two mixed drinks in glasses as the other held a phone to his ear. The beverages fizzled with carbonation, one glass holding darker colored liquid and the other clear. Offering the former to his partner, Salem appeared distracted by his phone call, standing and taking a sip of his dirty Sprite with a smile as he listened to someone unseen.
"Heheh, that's great, baby. I'm glad you're having fun. Be careful on any water, though, you make sure you've got your life jacket on and stay with the adults. You using your bug spray? ...Good, and what about the books I sent with you? You still practicing your reading like I told you? ...Awesome, good girl. You can show Daddy when you come home, we can read together...I know, honey, I'll be there to pick you up in a couple days, Daddy's just got some work to do. But you be good for the camp counselors and listen, alright? ...I love you too, sweetie. Have fun Kyra, and don't stay up too late, okay? Bye, baby." he said, ending the call and sitting down on a leather couch opposite Erynys with a satisfied sigh, having another sip.
"Aaaahhh," he exhaled, feeling the bubbles of the mixed drink tingle down his throat. "Y'know, if you told me a few years ago I'd be organizing play dates and running a mini-me around, I'd have laughed at you. But that kid's one of the best things that ever happened to me. To family and friends." he said, holding his glass out for a friendly toast.
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Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2023 4:44 pm
He looked up from his thoughts as Salem entered the room with two drinks in his hand. He nodded his head as he took the offered drink and took a tentative sip and he was pleasantly surprised at how smooth it was. Perfectly chilled to keep the bite down, but not enough to water down the licorice flavor.
He eased back in his chair and he half listened to the conversation that Salem was having with Lil biscuit. From what he could hear, she had a lot going on to show him. Hopefully the next time, they saw her, they would have better news.
He gave a small smile at his comment about fatherhood. "That's what I've heard. It definitely changes a man. To family and friends" he clinked the glass before taking another swig.
For a few moments, he let the silence linger before he turned to his partner. "So what do I owe the honor of traveling with you?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2023 6:46 am
Salem chuckled at Erynys' odd question.
"You're my tag partner. We ride or die together, man. Besides, it's better than cramming yourself into some economy class rental, right?" he grinned, having another sip before sighing and glancing out the nearby vanity window.
"You know, Kyra asked me about her Uncle Drako. Wondered if me and him are fighting. I didn't know what to tell her. I know we've got business with the Syndicate. But Drako has been one of my best friends almost since day one. We aren't talking as much lately, but I can't just consider him my enemy on a dime, that's We've my two cents. We've fought each other before, we know this is a sport and a business, I'm hoping this time is no different. So I told her things were okay. I keep telling myself it wasn't a lie. I know things will be okay, just a matter of when and how. But I don't want you to think my friendship with him is going to impact what I know we gotta do tonight. We're going to be tag champs, Eryn. I'm committed to that. Like I said, just a matter of when and how."
Reaching into a nearby drawer of his lounge area, Salem removed a metal, square shaped tin and popped it open, a variety of blunts rolled neatly and fixed along the inside of the case. Picking one out, he'd lick the tip and light it, taking a firm drag and holding it in a moment, closing his eyes before exhaling a slow stream of bluish-purple smoke.
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Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2023 7:09 am
He gave a small smile at his comment cramming himself in rental. "Trust me I know all about that, Hell the times I found myself in cheap rental cars, going from town to town, I feel like it aged me several years."
He grew quiet as Salem mentioned Drako and he felt the pit in his stomach form again. Truth be told, the topic had been on his mind as well.
"I see we are the same mind about the champion. To be honest, I'm less certain about him than you are. I wish I could say I knew what happened to him. I thought I was starting to know him, especially during that scare with Emiko. He seemed like he had a good head on his shoulders. He has honor and integrity, but...but after our matches, Hell with what he did to Nuke.....to be honest, I don't know what to think...."
He sighed and downed his drink in one go and grimaced at that poor decision. "Needless to say, he was right about one thing. We have to be on our A game. We can't keep burning the candles at both ends. I'm sorry I let you down."
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Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2023 7:25 am
"You apologize for that again, Imma punch you." Salem chided with a grin, jabbing the blunt towards Erynys like a weapon.
"We've talked about that. We've both been running harder than we should've. But we owe it to ourselves and each other to see this mission through. Win, and we're in...date with destiny to correct our fates at SummerSlam. Lose, and it's the back of the line. Who knows when we'll get another opportunity. But we can do this. You're a helluva wrestler, got a whole career ahead of you, and Hell, I feel like mine is just getting started, again. Never had a real tag partner before. Had friends, allies, even goons. But someone I'm day-in and day-out with in the ring? This is a new experience for me. I say we make it one worthwhile. Grab those belts and take off running, make people catch up to us, run even harder. Close as we are to that gold, we haven't even shined ourselves up, all the way. I wanna see what more we can still do, man."
Taking a long, slow sip from his glass, Salem sat it down and had another puff from his cigar, coughing a little on the exhale.
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Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2023 7:55 am
"Oh believe me, I wasn't apologizing for the tag team loss. I meant letting the big one slip through my fingers. I mean, we had a chance to hold everything...."
He trailed off as he shook his head.
"I don't know. Maybe it wasn't my time yet. I guess...i guess I expected more out of Drako. I mean when BTY beat me, at first i was pissed since it was my first real singles loss, but the more I thought about it....i actually respected the little s**t. I mean I don't like the fact that I lost, but I can't be be mad at him. He earned it. But what Drako did.....there's no honor in that. If he had beaten me clean, I could bear it. There's no shame in losing to the champ, but a champ that cheats, that's hard to swallow."
The more he sat there and listened to Salem compare their respective careers, it gave him pause.
"You're right, we have a golden opportunity to correct a wrong...to change things. I promise I will not less us down."
He grew quiet before he glanced at his partner. "I'm going to let you in on a secret.
To be honest, having a partner is foreign to me. Not to say I'm opposed to it. I guess I'm just so used to being on my own. I didn't have much in the way of trainers to guide me when I started. I learned as I went along; trial by error. I came to rely more on myself than others and I became used to answering to only myself and pinning my failures and successes on just me. But it's good to have someone else who understands me and sees my efforts and is there to support me. And I wanted to say thank you for that."
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Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2023 8:23 am
"Heh...I don't blame anyone for losing to Drako. Guy's good, I'd know better than many. Nothing to be ashamed of there...but how he won, that prissy, smart-mouthed manager...you can't blame yourself for that. Guy messed with my match, too. First time I ever fought Nuke, a guy I got a lot of love for. Didn't find out until after the fact, left a bad taste in my mouth. But right now, we can make them swallow a bitter pill, right back."
Ashing out the blunt, Salem took a deep breath before continuing.
"I've been reckless for a lot of my life, Eryn. Blackbird in a flock of doves, always a crow strayed from the murder. Sometimes, I wonder where I'm going, what I'm doing, and most of the time, I can't answer those questions. But since Kyra entered my life...it's really affected me. I've got a kid, man. She's spunky and sassy and smart and sometimes more clever than I am. I see so much of me in her, but that's why I want to be the best I can be, now. For her sake. I want her to be proud of me, better than me. I've had ambition without direction, just wandered into success more than I've sailed towards it. I want to change that. I need to. There's been times, man, I thought I'd give up. Thought I couldn't do another show, didn't know if I could still run with the pack. But it's just been my own lack of focus holding me back. I'm seeing that, now. Kyra, she's put it to a point, for me. She's gonna see me be a champion, man. I promise you. She's gonna see us be champions."
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Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2023 11:55 am
He nodded his head at the observation. There was no shame in losing, but it made all the difference between losing clean and getting screwed.
He titled his head as he listened to the new revelation of how the little one has changed his partner. "Well, it's true what they say. Fatherhood can change you. I totally understand where you are coming from, and we will make her proud, because this is our chance to set things right....to take what is rightfully ours and set the proper precedence going forward. And we will."
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