Date: 18 June 2018
Time: 1:00 AM BST
Location: The Last Drop - Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Here we are - same location, similar time. Pete was sweeping underneath the tables, trying to clean up from any patrons earlier in the day. An XWF camera man- perhaps the same one from the offices who filmed my open challenge, sat in front of me, training his no doubt expensive, hefty camera at me. Eddy was in the background, rubbing his chin while eyeing me warily. No time to wory about that though, I had something to say.

"Joachim," I said with a smile on my face, grabbing a seat nearby with one of the stools. "Sorry I kept you waiting on a response, but a certain someone wanted to bicker mindlessly with me on how to proceed with this."

I could hear him facepalming as he slowly paced around the room, clearly not wanting that little detail revealed. "Between you and me, he wanted me to try and lay into you, not unlike the stuff you've seen before. But, no, I've figured you've earned a proper response from me. You want me to tell you about myself? Well, there's only a few people who will know my life's story and all, but perhaps I can give you some of the juicy bits."

"It all started with a family of five based in Edinburgh - me, my mum Heather, my dad who also happened to be named Nathan, my older sister Clara, and judging by how much shit the XWF cameras catch, I'm wagering you've seen my younger brother Calum."

"My turning point came when I was twelve. My father got laid off an important job when the business sank under- he was a landscaper, y'see. Wasn't the most impressive gig payment wise, but it got the job done and my father loved what he did. But, he... took getting laid off especially hard. He started taking up booze. More and more often he started to get drunk. Around this time, Clara went off to college, trying to chase her dreams of becoming a lawyer, bless her."

"Then he started getting abusive." An eerie silence fell upon the tavern room. Pete, trying not to show any emotion, tried to stayed focused on sweeping. Even Eddy stopped, giving me a sympathetic glance as he too knew this story. I licked my lips, chuckling to myself as I looked down. "I haven't had to relive this in ages..."

"Nobody was safe from my father's wrath, not Calum and not my mum. As his eldest son, I took the brunt of the punishment. Every little thing that irked him, every nigh impossible task I failed... he beat me. Whether it was lashing me with his belt, or even bashing my fuckin' head into the floor... he never stopped until he saw blood. The mad man didn't have a son in those moments to him, he had a punchin' bag, a tool to use to work out his aggression about his job, his drunken rage, life itself..."

"The only reason I didn't up and run away was because I knew, without my presence, Calum would be next on his chopping block, and that was the last thing I wanted. We've always been close, playing together when we were mindless kids, fantasizing about hopes and dreams... watchin' on the tele with Calum was how I got into wrestlin' in the first place. And as my father didn't care for me anymore, those hopes and dreams were all I had left. But one day... one day I had enough."

I paused, noticing the lone tear silently streaming down my cheek. I sighed; an empty, hollow sigh as I attempted to right myself before I fully cracked. The last thing I needed was to break down into a sobbing fit during my first official promo because a kid was curious about me. I wiped my thumb across the tear, chuckling as I moved back to reality. "Tell me, Joachim. Did that satisfy your curiosity? Your innate desire to learn more about me?"

"Not like I can blame you for it. I'd probably be as curious as you are in your situation. You're admirable, Joachim. Bright, innocent. People like you, who believe in the absolute goodness in people's hearts.... you're a dying breed. People like you, who want to be a bastion of hope in this corrupted world, in this wasteland of a federation... your innocence, however, doesn't have much time left. I learned young that even with what should have been the strongest of ties imaginable... they'll kick you around any possible chance they can get."

"I look forward to seeing what you can do. You may not fit the bill, but if I can try and give you some sort of uplifting advice... have some confidence in yourself. Believe in your abilities. Just because your debut went south doesn't mean you need to be pessimistic on your outlooks. Don't think of them having an 'easy victory,' think of you getting a 'hard-fought win.' When we step into the ring at Warfare, though, win or lose... it's nice to know there will be another good person I'll know outside of Azreal. And who knows? Maybe... Maybe we can call each other friends."