Post by owensalvo on Nov 29, 2016 23:01:26 GMT -5
"I’m THE best…"
No, that wasn’t it.
"I’m the BEST!"
Still not there. It lacks that level of conviction.
"I’M the best."
Eh. It just doesn’t seem sincere. If he didn’t believe it, how could anyone else? At any rate, he better get this down in a hurry if he doesn’t want to deal with Ken again.
"What am I listening to here? I thought there was a man ready to go to war in here. Instead, it sounds like a twelve year old talking shit over the internet."
Too late. Ken fills the doorway of the bathroom in Owen’s apartment. Owen looks at his “mentor” through the reflection in the mirror he is planted in front of. Ken shakes his head with disappointment, forcing Owen to even break eye contact with the mirror. Ken rolls his eyes and takes one step into the room, where he stops and folds his arms.
"You may not believe that you need me, but you do. You’re entered in the Alpha Cup. The only thing Alpha about you is the fact that you’ve got me in your corner. But damn it, we’ll fix that."
Owen stares down at the counter, listening to but not encouraging the words of his mother’s good friend. He does his best to brush it off. It’s not that Ken was a jerk to him. That was something he was used to. Classmates, competition, coaches. They’ve all got it in them to put somebody down. It’s the way Ken does it that truly bothers Owen. It’s not jocular. There is no trace of good intent behind his snarky comments. Nothing more than a constant reminder to Owen who the man in the family was. The alpha.
"Thanks, Ken. I think I can handle this."
"I wish you could, little guy. But we both know that isn’t the case. Physically, you just don’t match up with, well, hardly anyone in this sport. Maybe that would fly if you could talk a big game. Sadly, after what I just overheard, it’s time for plan C.
"I can handle myself, honestly. Physically, I’m in great shape. And size isn’t everything."
"HA! You know who says that, don’t you?"
"Please stop."
"I’ll spare you the embarrassment this time around. Just the kind of guy I am."
"Appreciate it, Ken."
As much as Owen dreamed of telling Ken what kind of guy he really is, this was neither the time nor the place. With his career at stake, Owen only wants to focus on his first match for the Alpha Wrestling Empire. If playing ball with Ken is what it takes to get him off his back, so be it.
"Out of curiosity… What is plan C?"
"I’m glad you asked."
Ken approaches the counter where Owen stands. A loud clang echoes throughout the bathroom as an object from Ken’s pocket crashes down onto it. The metal object slides right into Owen’s line of sight. A quick glance is all it takes for Owen’s head snaps toward Ken, who displays a smug grin. Owen emphatically shakes his head.
"Nope. Absolutely not."
"You might want to reconsider, kid. This sport is all about getting that edge. Don’t make me suggest plan D."
"I’m not sure I want to know what-"
"Juice. Those skinny arms aren’t capable of much. Certainly can’t manhandle the guy across from you. You’ve got some sort of weightlifting aversion, so we should probably supplement that somehow…"
"Are you kidding me?"
"I’m a jerk if I say no, right? Look, your mom would probably kill me if I got you on something like that. The last thing I want is to be on her bad side. Heh, let me tell you, in bed, she’s got no bad side!"
"Come on!"
"You’re just jealous."
"That’s disgusting…"
Owen cringes as the point Ken was trying to make landed wildly off target.
"Alright, alright. Back to plan C. I can’t make you use it. The decision falls squarely on those narrow shoulders of yours, bud. I just want you to consider it. I mean, in a way, we’ve both got a lot at stake here, don’t we?"
"How do you figure?"
"Well, your mom really likes that I’ve taken you under my wing. She only wants to see you succeed. It’s sweet, really. And I’d like to see you succeed, too. When she’s happy, we’re all happy, right?"
"I guess so…"
"If you lose this match… Your first professional match… How does that make you look? After all the work we’ve put in together. It sort of makes you look like a slacker. Ol’ Ken has just poured his heart and soul into training you for this moment, and you choke. You humiliate us. Not just you and I, but your mom too."
"Isn’t ‘humiliate’ a bit strong here?"
"She’s told everyone about this. She’s flying her sister out to watch with her! I don’t know, Owen. It sounds pretty humiliating to me."
"Let’s say I try my best and still get beat. There’s something honorable there, right? I mean, she’ll still be proud of me. I’ll continue to get better. You’ll continue to train me. There’s always next time…"
"You know how I feel about that phrase. Next time is for suckers. For the weak. While you physically may look the part, you’ve got to be better than that in the head. Listen, I didn’t want it to come to this, but if you don’t win on Sunday, you’ll be on your own for the rest of this professional wrestling journey. You’ll be deemed uncoachable. Humiliation is one thing. Disappointment? That’ll crush her."
Owen silently takes in Ken’s words and plays them over in his head. On the surface, it was good news. He isn’t exactly thrilled to have Ken shoving his opinion and hate down his throat at all times. Losing him would probably feel great. Still, it’s not in Owen’s nature to not give it his all. Not to mention the thought of hurting the one person he’s been close with. If it was that important to her, Owen might as well at least consider every avenue. Ken’s eyes shift down toward the counter as Owen rattles the object as he picks it up. Owen wraps his hand around the pair a brass knuckles before sliding them into his pocket.
"Now we’re talking. You get into trouble, just give me a little nod. I’ll get the ref’s attention."
"This is a last resort, Ken."
"Whatever you say, little guy. Heh, there might still be hope for you after all! I was going to go place a little money on Aokigahara, but I may just shift that bet! Go make us both a little money, kid."
Ken swings his giant right arm at the back of Owen, slapping him on the back. Owen freezes for a moment, in shock. Partially from the velocity behind the slap. The bulk of it, was the first, albeit slight, display of pride he had ever received from Ken. Sure, it was selfish, but hopefully it was something. Ken is gone before the shock wears off. Owen is left alone with his thoughts and his mirror once more.
"Integrity is of the utmost importance to me. I don’t plan to compromise that. Not without good reason, anyway. I’m going to give it my all out there and, hopefully, walk away with win number one. That’s the dream.
My first match is just around the corner. I expected to feel butterflies, both good and bad. Like a shy kid camping out in the back corner of the classroom hoping to be skipped over by the teacher mixed with that same teacher looking forward to spreading terror throughout the class by calling on kids like that. Instead, I feel so much more. I feel the stress of an entire family on my shoulders. I feel the anxiety of what a potential loss would mean for me, both personally and professionally. But most important of all, I feel like I’ve been here before. On a night where everything changes for me and I debut in a new career, I will be right at home.
I’ll have my work cut out for me, I know that. I may have drawn the toughest guy in this whole tournament in round one. Lucky for me, he may just be the perfect opponent for me at this point in time.
Aokigahara Zombie, a man who can dish it and take it. Somebody I know will make me earn my spot in AWE. I’ll earn everything I get this Sunday. The last thing I want is a gimme in my first match. Too often that’s the way people are brought in. An unathletic slob thrown out to take a loss. Not this time. I’ve been thrown right into the thick of things. The way it should be. I don’t need any favors. If my hand is raised at the end of the night, I’ll know I belong. That’s part of why I feel so lucky to face you.
But it’s not just your toughness, it’s your experience that makes you an ideal opponent. It will be a learning opportunity, to say the least. You’ve been around the block, you’ve seen your fair share of ups and downs. You’ve got that unpredictability about you. You’ll catch me off guard more than once, I’m sure of that. It will be my job to deal with that on the fly. You see, I can watch all the film I want. I can listen to Ken lecture me to no end day in and day out. I can pick the brains of those who came before me… But until I’m standing face to face with another competitor, duking it out to see who the better man is, I can’t truly say I know what I’m doing. At Massacre, the student becomes the teacher, whether he likes it or not.
Above all, what makes you a good fit on Sunday is that, even for a newcomer with no accolades nowhere else to go, you’re beatable. You’ve been beating yourself your whole life. Maybe I’ll be overexcited and overextend into a bad spot. Maybe my lack of experience will get me into trouble. There are a number of issues that can go wrong for me. Still, I can confidently say that you’ll find a way to even the score for me. Pride, arrogance, stupidity… I don’t know, but it will be there. The door won’t ever be closed for me.
I may get schooled for a while on Sunday night. I’ll almost certainly get my ass kicked. Despite all that, I’ll also get my first career victory. I won’t need any outside interference. Only the drive I’ve got to always get better. I’ve been the underdog more than once in life. Hell, that’s the life I live. It’s time for me to give the AWE audience their first taste of Owen Salvo. Aokigahara, get ready for Shock. You’ll be the first of many.
You see, I’m NOT the best.
But neither are you. The difference is, I intend to be someday."
No, that wasn’t it.
"I’m the BEST!"
Still not there. It lacks that level of conviction.
"I’M the best."
Eh. It just doesn’t seem sincere. If he didn’t believe it, how could anyone else? At any rate, he better get this down in a hurry if he doesn’t want to deal with Ken again.
"What am I listening to here? I thought there was a man ready to go to war in here. Instead, it sounds like a twelve year old talking shit over the internet."
Too late. Ken fills the doorway of the bathroom in Owen’s apartment. Owen looks at his “mentor” through the reflection in the mirror he is planted in front of. Ken shakes his head with disappointment, forcing Owen to even break eye contact with the mirror. Ken rolls his eyes and takes one step into the room, where he stops and folds his arms.
"You may not believe that you need me, but you do. You’re entered in the Alpha Cup. The only thing Alpha about you is the fact that you’ve got me in your corner. But damn it, we’ll fix that."
Owen stares down at the counter, listening to but not encouraging the words of his mother’s good friend. He does his best to brush it off. It’s not that Ken was a jerk to him. That was something he was used to. Classmates, competition, coaches. They’ve all got it in them to put somebody down. It’s the way Ken does it that truly bothers Owen. It’s not jocular. There is no trace of good intent behind his snarky comments. Nothing more than a constant reminder to Owen who the man in the family was. The alpha.
"Thanks, Ken. I think I can handle this."
"I wish you could, little guy. But we both know that isn’t the case. Physically, you just don’t match up with, well, hardly anyone in this sport. Maybe that would fly if you could talk a big game. Sadly, after what I just overheard, it’s time for plan C.
"I can handle myself, honestly. Physically, I’m in great shape. And size isn’t everything."
"HA! You know who says that, don’t you?"
"Please stop."
"I’ll spare you the embarrassment this time around. Just the kind of guy I am."
"Appreciate it, Ken."
As much as Owen dreamed of telling Ken what kind of guy he really is, this was neither the time nor the place. With his career at stake, Owen only wants to focus on his first match for the Alpha Wrestling Empire. If playing ball with Ken is what it takes to get him off his back, so be it.
"Out of curiosity… What is plan C?"
"I’m glad you asked."
Ken approaches the counter where Owen stands. A loud clang echoes throughout the bathroom as an object from Ken’s pocket crashes down onto it. The metal object slides right into Owen’s line of sight. A quick glance is all it takes for Owen’s head snaps toward Ken, who displays a smug grin. Owen emphatically shakes his head.
"Nope. Absolutely not."
"You might want to reconsider, kid. This sport is all about getting that edge. Don’t make me suggest plan D."
"I’m not sure I want to know what-"
"Juice. Those skinny arms aren’t capable of much. Certainly can’t manhandle the guy across from you. You’ve got some sort of weightlifting aversion, so we should probably supplement that somehow…"
"Are you kidding me?"
"I’m a jerk if I say no, right? Look, your mom would probably kill me if I got you on something like that. The last thing I want is to be on her bad side. Heh, let me tell you, in bed, she’s got no bad side!"
"Come on!"
"You’re just jealous."
"That’s disgusting…"
Owen cringes as the point Ken was trying to make landed wildly off target.
"Alright, alright. Back to plan C. I can’t make you use it. The decision falls squarely on those narrow shoulders of yours, bud. I just want you to consider it. I mean, in a way, we’ve both got a lot at stake here, don’t we?"
"How do you figure?"
"Well, your mom really likes that I’ve taken you under my wing. She only wants to see you succeed. It’s sweet, really. And I’d like to see you succeed, too. When she’s happy, we’re all happy, right?"
"I guess so…"
"If you lose this match… Your first professional match… How does that make you look? After all the work we’ve put in together. It sort of makes you look like a slacker. Ol’ Ken has just poured his heart and soul into training you for this moment, and you choke. You humiliate us. Not just you and I, but your mom too."
"Isn’t ‘humiliate’ a bit strong here?"
"She’s told everyone about this. She’s flying her sister out to watch with her! I don’t know, Owen. It sounds pretty humiliating to me."
"Let’s say I try my best and still get beat. There’s something honorable there, right? I mean, she’ll still be proud of me. I’ll continue to get better. You’ll continue to train me. There’s always next time…"
"You know how I feel about that phrase. Next time is for suckers. For the weak. While you physically may look the part, you’ve got to be better than that in the head. Listen, I didn’t want it to come to this, but if you don’t win on Sunday, you’ll be on your own for the rest of this professional wrestling journey. You’ll be deemed uncoachable. Humiliation is one thing. Disappointment? That’ll crush her."
Owen silently takes in Ken’s words and plays them over in his head. On the surface, it was good news. He isn’t exactly thrilled to have Ken shoving his opinion and hate down his throat at all times. Losing him would probably feel great. Still, it’s not in Owen’s nature to not give it his all. Not to mention the thought of hurting the one person he’s been close with. If it was that important to her, Owen might as well at least consider every avenue. Ken’s eyes shift down toward the counter as Owen rattles the object as he picks it up. Owen wraps his hand around the pair a brass knuckles before sliding them into his pocket.
"Now we’re talking. You get into trouble, just give me a little nod. I’ll get the ref’s attention."
"This is a last resort, Ken."
"Whatever you say, little guy. Heh, there might still be hope for you after all! I was going to go place a little money on Aokigahara, but I may just shift that bet! Go make us both a little money, kid."
Ken swings his giant right arm at the back of Owen, slapping him on the back. Owen freezes for a moment, in shock. Partially from the velocity behind the slap. The bulk of it, was the first, albeit slight, display of pride he had ever received from Ken. Sure, it was selfish, but hopefully it was something. Ken is gone before the shock wears off. Owen is left alone with his thoughts and his mirror once more.
"Integrity is of the utmost importance to me. I don’t plan to compromise that. Not without good reason, anyway. I’m going to give it my all out there and, hopefully, walk away with win number one. That’s the dream.
My first match is just around the corner. I expected to feel butterflies, both good and bad. Like a shy kid camping out in the back corner of the classroom hoping to be skipped over by the teacher mixed with that same teacher looking forward to spreading terror throughout the class by calling on kids like that. Instead, I feel so much more. I feel the stress of an entire family on my shoulders. I feel the anxiety of what a potential loss would mean for me, both personally and professionally. But most important of all, I feel like I’ve been here before. On a night where everything changes for me and I debut in a new career, I will be right at home.
I’ll have my work cut out for me, I know that. I may have drawn the toughest guy in this whole tournament in round one. Lucky for me, he may just be the perfect opponent for me at this point in time.
Aokigahara Zombie, a man who can dish it and take it. Somebody I know will make me earn my spot in AWE. I’ll earn everything I get this Sunday. The last thing I want is a gimme in my first match. Too often that’s the way people are brought in. An unathletic slob thrown out to take a loss. Not this time. I’ve been thrown right into the thick of things. The way it should be. I don’t need any favors. If my hand is raised at the end of the night, I’ll know I belong. That’s part of why I feel so lucky to face you.
But it’s not just your toughness, it’s your experience that makes you an ideal opponent. It will be a learning opportunity, to say the least. You’ve been around the block, you’ve seen your fair share of ups and downs. You’ve got that unpredictability about you. You’ll catch me off guard more than once, I’m sure of that. It will be my job to deal with that on the fly. You see, I can watch all the film I want. I can listen to Ken lecture me to no end day in and day out. I can pick the brains of those who came before me… But until I’m standing face to face with another competitor, duking it out to see who the better man is, I can’t truly say I know what I’m doing. At Massacre, the student becomes the teacher, whether he likes it or not.
Above all, what makes you a good fit on Sunday is that, even for a newcomer with no accolades nowhere else to go, you’re beatable. You’ve been beating yourself your whole life. Maybe I’ll be overexcited and overextend into a bad spot. Maybe my lack of experience will get me into trouble. There are a number of issues that can go wrong for me. Still, I can confidently say that you’ll find a way to even the score for me. Pride, arrogance, stupidity… I don’t know, but it will be there. The door won’t ever be closed for me.
I may get schooled for a while on Sunday night. I’ll almost certainly get my ass kicked. Despite all that, I’ll also get my first career victory. I won’t need any outside interference. Only the drive I’ve got to always get better. I’ve been the underdog more than once in life. Hell, that’s the life I live. It’s time for me to give the AWE audience their first taste of Owen Salvo. Aokigahara, get ready for Shock. You’ll be the first of many.
You see, I’m NOT the best.
But neither are you. The difference is, I intend to be someday."