Tick.
The randomness of William's pen tapping on his notepad pulled me out of what transpired during my therapy session. I was back in my office at home, having our weekly sit-down meeting to go over progress. "Everything okay, Dionysus?" William asked, his face showing concern.

I shook my head to get the hazy feeling out of my eyes. "Yes, sorry...my mind wandered for a moment."

"I understand you forgot about your therapy session today, sir. If you want, I have time tomorrow to go over the progress report." William was too good for me. Even though I was throwing the world in his lap, he still took the time to check up on me. I could not have asked for a better partner in this venture. He set his notepad on the desk and stood from his chair, walking over to the small water cooler that had just arrived today. "If you want to talk about anything else, though..." he invited, filling two glasses with water.

I accepted, letting him set the glass on the desk. "I appreciate the concern, but there are a few items I need to approve that are tied up with the progress report. We can discuss that more in a minute, though...I need a brain break," I replied, taking a long drink from the glass. I set it down and rubbed a hand over my face, feeling the exhaustion of the day. "I appreciate Dr. Elbrook, but sometimes his deep dives can go...a bit too deep."

"I'm sorry, I can't remember; have I ever met Elbrook?"

"No, but he is one of my guests for the construction fundraising event, so you will have your opportunity soon enough," I informed. "Interesting man, good conversationalist. Though occasionally he can be...long-winded."

"Appreciate the heads up; long-winded isn't really my type, sir."

"I thought your type was that...how did you describe him? A 'hunk of a photographer' you met in Winona," I slyly remarked, a wicked grin growing across my face. "What is the progress you have made with Evan, anyway?"

William blushed, shaking his head. "N-not much progress, sir." I shook my own head; I knew better than to make William flustered. He would end up being robotic for the rest of our conversation. "I'm still waiting for him to call."

"Well you have his number, do you not? Why not take the leap? The worst he can say is no, right? Besides, you-"

"Maybe you should tell me what Elbrook said that made you upset," William quickly blurted out without thinking. My smile faded. I felt my brow furrow. William caught on that he had said something wrong and was quick to try and apologize. "...Sir, I didn't mean-"

I held up a hand. "No," I sighed. "Its my fault. I shouldn't have pressured you. The truth is, Elbrook left me with a question I didn't particularly care for. 'What am I trying to avoid?'"

"...With what?" William asked with a renewed concern.

The best I could offer was a shrug. "Between the vineyard, the XWF contract, working between two companies, everything with my father...I'll be honest, I don't really know what he meant by that."

"Sounds open-ended to me," William pointed out. "Maybe he asked it so you could think of what you were avoiding, deliberate or not." It didn't seem that far-fetched to me. Still, given how our sessions had gone up until this point, Elbrook knew I hated avoidance. So why mention it? "Did he want you to give an answer?"

"I think he will have it either way," I responded coldly.

---

The most common question I get asked is, "Is your name really Dionysus?"

Sometimes it gets tiring to keep answering the same question over and over, but I can understand why people ask. Dionysus is not exactly a common name, especially considering it is the name of a god. Perhaps that is why people like you, Ned, assume I hold some kind of god-like status, lording it over the mere mortals of the world. There is a slight problem with that logic, however; I am just as mortal as anyone. Would you like to know why I chose the name Dionysus to be my ring name?

Come in closer...

Just a bit more...

...

...

...Because I like my name.

Besides, having the connections to greek myth makes my job more fun. I did graduate with a degree in history, after all. Which is why it is fascinating that you bring up the myth of Orpheus as the ultimate "gotcha." But sadly, there are key pieces of the myth that were left out. Namely, that by turning around, he sealed the fate of Euridice. By Hades’ own proclamation, he could only look back once both have passed the threshold. His problem? He was too eager, and looked back too soon. Perhaps he did not trust the god of the underworld to hold up his end of the bargain. Perhaps he thought Euridice would be able to keep pace. Regardless of the circumstance, it was by his own hand that doomed the woman. I should also probably mention that my namesake ordered Orpheus to be torn to shreds for turning away from his worship, but I feel that may be too on-the-nose.

To me, the myth tells me that there is a time and a place when it is appropriate to look back. The worst time to do so is when there is a goal plain in sight. So while I may be blunt when it comes to the victories I have secured, by no means should that be taken as a dismissal of my opponents. Barney and Mark gave me everything they had, and I appreciate their fighting spirit. Each step I take in this tournament is a test to prove my worthiness here, as the fresh face newcomer jockeying for his own place among the roster. I came into this tournament with one goal. The same goal as everyone else that entered.

To win.

Motives aside, personal grudges aside, winning means everything here. While I hold my moral convictions, I also need to show my worth. If I boast and lose, then it was all hot air. Winning one round would be considered "a fluke" to many.  Two victories? Sure, now we have a pattern, to be considered one of the elite eight. But do you honestly believe that my purpose here, in this tournament, is to play nice and be absolutely cheerful with everyone I meet? I do not recall Tien Shinhan extending the same courtesy to Goku during the World Martial Arts Tournament, and they became powerful allies soon after. If the ultimate goal is to win, then winning is what I must do, especially for the newcomer in me.

Yes, the mere mortal Dionysus, the guy who is drafting up plans to build a vineyard and eats burgers in a Denny's style diner downtown. It is endearing, though, that you feel I have this god-like persona, this holier-than-thou can-do-no-wrong attitude that makes me seem even more immortal than I really am. It makes me really appreciate the vote of confidence you have in me, though perhaps it is a gross overestimation of my own abilities. Do not pretend for a moment that you are the only one that has a checkered past that follows just out of sight from the corner of your eye. I have had to pay debts that were not my own, been forced to fight when I did not want to, and still feels the cold eye of the person responsible watching every move I make, even after I pulled myself out of that bad situation. I took my past and turned it into my drive to help others. To provide the means to have a place those can call home. And from there, I wanted to do things my own way. Through the successes and failures in my life, by allowing myself to be helped by those who offered it to me, I was able to face my demons head on and work toward getting out from underneath them and finally move on.

But of course, for Ned Kaye, the pride I have in myself is simply arrogance, trampling people underfoot in order to reach the top.

Let me make this plain: this match is between you and me. Not the people we have helped. Not the people who we have bested thus far. But between The Indie Darling Eternal and The Lord of the Vine. Between The Soul of XWF and The Master of Revels. You fight for the people who cannot fight for themselves.

I fight with them.