Post by Aaron Pace™ on Dec 14, 2016 19:32:57 GMT -5
Things had worked out for the better for Aaron in that debut match. He'd overcome the odds and defeated S.O.B. A man whom people had stated he had little chance to defeat, a man whom had made a few waves here in the AWE. But in the end his waves were little more than a minor annoyance when it came to stepping up against the tidal wave, the tsunami that was Aaron Pace. Aaron had overcame those odds and took another step forward, this time though he was stepping from one barricade and into a road block in the world renowned Cyrus Riddle. Riddle had a lot of qualities that made him quite the challenge, but little did he realize that when Aaron said the AWE roster couldn't 'keep up the pace'... He was including Cyrus Riddle in that not so illustrious group as well..
We begin in a sort of makeshift classroom. It looked as if it had been thrown together and in the front of the room sat a cheap looking blackboard, like something that might have been picked up in a Family Dollar or something along those lines. A bunch of young people, children and teenagers sat in the rows while a banner nearby read 'professional wrestler and public speaker extraordinaire Aaron Pace!' As it turned out, he was there hosting a public speaking seminar as he'd been known to be skilled in the whole linguistics thing. As it turned out, he'd turned this into another paying job as he'd been teaching people the skills to speak in public. But today was something special.. Just then, Aaron walked into the room and smiled at everyone in attendance.
[ A A R O N ]
“If you guys don't know me, my name is..”
He grabbed some chalk and began to write up on the blackboard, 'Doctor' Aaron Pace. Everyone in professional wrestling claimed to be a doctor at some point and Aaron was no different. Did he have any 'degrees' as the man called them? No. But he had something more, he had a degree you could only get on the streets when you'd talked yourself out of nearly being stabbed.
[ A A R O N ]
“Now, the thing is, normally I'd 'rap' to you guys about the pressures of speaking publicly, tell you how you need to imagine all of the hot chicks naked, that sort of thing but not today. No, today we're going to solve a simple riddle..”
He began to write the name 'Cyrus Riddle' across the blackboard. This, of course, garnered a large amount of confusion from people in the room, as despite the name merely mentioning the word riddle, that did not make it a riddle.
[ A A R O N ]
“So... what's the answer?”
[ STUDENT ]
“... The answer to what? It's a name.”
[ A A R O N ]
“Don't you say that. Don't you ever say that to me.”
Aaron pointed his finger at the young man, an angered tone of voice taking over as he looked to him. The young man was already grabbing his stuff and preparing to go. He'd been ripped off, that was for sure, and that feeling of unrest was going over with most of the 'students' of Aaron Pace's public speaking seminar.
[ STUDENT]
“...”
[ A A R O N ]
“There has to be an answer, there's an answer to every riddle, even those dubbed Cyrus. I theorize that if we solve this riddle, we'll finally figure out how this man has had such career longevity. I mean... he's bald. Is there really that big of a demand for more bald wrestlers? Why is he still here? How is he still in the wrestling business when you consider half the companies he's been with have ended in failure? Walk of the Boards Wrestling, Wrestling with a Ring that has 4 Corners, he was even in Knights of the Circled Square!”
[ STUDENT ]
“... I don't even think you named off these companies right. Listen, we're all here because we wanna learn to talk in public in front of a crowd..”
[ A A R O N ]
“It's always about you guys at these things, why is it never about me?! YOU'RE SO SELFISH.”
[ STUDENT ]
“You charged us five hundred dollars a head!”
Suddenly he began to blow his whistle repeatedly every time the young man tried to rant at him, cutting him off at every last turn.
[ STUDENT ]
“You owe us a..”
Whistle. The screech of the whistle echoing out through the room as the young man looked rather annoyed. Every last time he opened his mouth, the whistle was let off once more. Most of the 'class' had left at this point and now finally, the last student did as well.
[ A A R O N ]
“Oh get the hell out you nancies! Who needs ya?!”
Alone. As always Aaron was alone. He'd chosen this, he'd chosen to become the persona he was in professional wrestling in life, and by doing so that meant that you had it that much harder. Help wasn't readily available...
Or was it?
Some time later he was walking through a local grocery store, figuring he'd grab a few things to make himself a meal while he was in town. He'd yearned for some home cooking and cooking happened to be one of the few skills he had outside of wrestling. He turned down an aisle where a bunch of skinny, pale kids were and happened to bump into... Bindy Trent?!
[ A A R O N ]
“... Get out of my... oh hey, Binder Binding Rodriguez, how's it hangin'?”
Yes, that was a Futurama reference. Aaron had recently met Bindy at work and the two hadn't really er, hit it off. But they were social, he'd spoken to her a few times willingly and she him. Either way, he was surprised to see her here.
[ BINDY TRENT ]
“I'm just here picking up some soy eggs and soysage. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find that sort of thing in this town.”
He wasn't too sure how hard it was to find that sort of things, to be honest. He wasn't particularly 'with it' when it came to stuff Bindy Trent was interested in, after all, they were very, very different individuals.
[ A A R O N ]
“Why would you want to?”
He uttered in a low tone of voice.
[ BINDY TRENT ]
“What was that?”
[ A A R O N ]
“I said I should come over and eat with you, but I had a big breakfast.”
[ BINDY TRENT ]
“...”
Somehow one could figure here that she didn't quite believe him.
[ A A R O N ]
“Hey, I was wondering, if he's Cyrus Riddle... what's the answer? Every riddle has an answer, right?”
[ BINDY TRENT ]
“He's not... his name has nothing to do with riddles, I don't think. He probably just thinks it sounds cool... You..”
Bindy seemed confused and maybe a little frustrated. Though you couldn't help but wonder what Aaron was getting at..
[ A A R O N ]
“Wait, me? You're saying I'm the answer?”
[ BINDY TRENT ]
“I didn't..”
[ A A R O N ]
“If you weren't someone who I'm pretty sure would get me arrested, I'd give you a slap on the fanny as a thank you. I know what I have to do.”
Bindy sighed as he walked off down the aisle, wondering what exactly she'd gotten herself into through being his 'friend'.
A short bit later Aaron appeared on camera in the parking lot near tonight's arena. He sat on the hood of a car, not his of course. But someone's green Ford Taurus, though he wasn't sure who happened to own it. No matter, he thought to himself.
[ A A R O N ]
“All week I've been looking for an answer to a riddle, but not just any Riddle... Cyrus Riddle. I know what you're thinking, he's not an actual riddle, Aaron. But questioning things is what makes us human and while you may not be an actual riddle, you're still a problem to solve. You're something that requires an answer, you're something that requires a little bit of study. See your career trajectory has been a strange and storied one. Credit where credit is due, you are a question of which many a great man has been unable to answer whether it be in 4 Corners, Boardwalk, or anywhere else. You are a mystery in the sense that despite any and all odds against you, you've held on.
In spite of the fact that the consensus is you are past your prime, that you are an example of an old veteran who's held on too long when newer, better talents are ready to replace them... You're still here, you're still working at it.
It's commendable. It's stupid, but it's commendable. But it is okay Cyrus, you can finally let go. You can give it up. There's no shame in calling it a career and as far as they go, yours has been impressive. But all good things must come to an end and your career? It needs to end. You see, I combed through my brain looking for an answer to Cyrus Riddle... then I realized something.
I'm the answer.”
It was as if this had baffled him the entire time. He scratched his chin as he dealt with this revelation that he was the answer to Cyrus Riddle.
[ A A R O N ]
“I've been chosen whether it was through luck, the machinations of a higher power, or otherwise. I've been chosen to take you out. I have been at the front of the line, the head of the race since I walked in the effing door... I've been at the front of the race and you sir are lagging behind, you're pushing up the rear but the thing is... you're dragging us all down with you. You might have once been in your prime but let's face it, everyone knows you haven't been for a real, real long time. It's perfectly fine that the tenuous nature of the wrestling business has caught up with you and there is no shame in that.
But you can't compete on my level.. let's be honest, you just can't keep up.
Fortunately for you, you don't have to keep up. You just need to try to put on a serviceable show, you need to hold enough of your own until I drop you. Until I give you the one, true definitive answer to your riddle, the riddle that defines you.. Then we put you to bed once and for all. Make no mistake, if you suddenly tap into a well of talent within yourself that I know you have? If you suddenly pull out that Cyrus Riddle that was in his prime? Well, you're still gonna be down on your luck because you're wrestling Aaron Pace, Cyrus! I don't know if you've heard but I'm the favorite to win this whole thing, I'm the guy that's got all the eyes on this company right now..
Really though Cy.. Can I call you Cy? I'm gonna. Don't be too surprised when we're in this match and you're five steps behind and I'm running circles about you..”
All Aaron did at this point was let the microphone drop to the ground... He then turned and walked away from the cameras, the last things heard, of course, being that incredibly annoying whistle he'd been using to bother folks as of late. But of course, that brought this piece to an end.[/ul]