---

---

"...Hello? Are you okay?"

I snapped out of my daze. I really don't know what came over me. Must have been something I ate.

I looked over at Ellie, who had set down a fantastic breakfast; pancakes stacked high, a plate of bacon and sausage, and warm, crispy toast with plenty of butter. She had really outdone herself. She took a seat next to me at the dining table, asking "Dio? Everything okay?"

I put a hand to my brow, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. "I'm alright," I answered. "Just thinking about...something."

"Oh? What about?"

I reached across the table, taking her hand into mine. "Well, us of course," I said, timed perfectly with the television saying "Aww" to something happening on screen.

Ellie blushed, gesturing to the breakfast before us. "Don't think you can sweet talk your way out of this breakfast, now."

"I wouldn't think of it; this all looks fantastic!" I exclaimed, taking my fork and serving myself.

We ate in relative silence, smiling at each other when we looked up at one another. We didn't need small talk; just being near was enough. Afterward, I took both our dishes and walked over to the kitchen sink, letting the water run hot before plugging the drain and adding dish soap. "Oh yeah, I'm getting my nails done with your mother. It was her treat; she insisted."

I rolled my eyes. "Now I know you don't like getting your nail's done, but she's been getting better from the flu. A day out would be good for her. Good for me too, now that I think about it."

"Well maybe you could ask uncle Elbrook to do something."

"With his schedule? Our day out would be weeks from now."

I felt a playful slap on my back from Ellie as she wrapped her arms around my waist. "Now don't be mean."

"Wouldn't think of it," I replied, turning to face her and giving her a quick peck on the top of her head. These dishes weren't going to get done with these kinds of distractions. I felt her arms slide away from my waist as I finished scrubbing one plate, setting it in the adjacent basin for rinsing. I picked up the next plate to scrub it.

...Or I would, if I hadn't felt something sharp against my finger.

I winced, quickly wrapping my finger in the wash rag. Not exactly sanitary, but better that than bleeding all over the floor. "D**n, I cut my finger. Ellie, do you think you could-"

...Wait a minute. What just happened?

"...Uhh...Ellie, could you grab me a f**king-"

I froze completely. The plate, now forgotten from my grip, crashed gently onto the ground. I looked down at the wreckage.

...But the plate was pristine.

I blinked, slowly raising my hand with the cut finger.

No blood was there. No cut mark was left.

It was as if nothing happened.

I closed my eyes tightly, breathing shallowly. What was happening with my language?

...And more importantly, what even was this nightmarish domestic life that I know Ellie and I would hate? Perfect Sunday morning, a breakfast fit for a king, delightful, if annoying, banter about our families?

It was too...idyllic. As if a great effort was put into making sure everything would be to my exact liking. Everything from the weather to the food, even the way Ellie dressed and wore her hair, was done to a perfect representation of my fantasy.

But...why was I seeing this?

I know my life isn't in any way like that.

I opened my eyes...only to see void in front of me. I turned around, staring at an expanse of nothingness. The only things I could see were my hands, my body, and a dim reflection of myself in the surface I was standing on. Hopefully it was ground.

---

Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?

...No?

Good, you can look in a dictionary for that one.

Let me tell you the definition of revelry instead. Quite simply, it is a boisterous festival, a time of celebration and relaxation. It is not an event I hold simply to celebrate myself, as many would assume it would be. Rather, the celebration is for all! The dawn of a new era in XWF; no longer waiting in the wings for your shot to come years down the line, no longer continuously proving your worth to the XWF faithful. No, this era thrives with the spirit of competition.

And as its Catalyst, I take pride in seeing that hard work pay off.

It is often difficult to navigate through the dance that is this business. But for the first time in my career, I have been able to catch the tempo, and making sure the steps I take are what I need to make. Never overstepping, rarely missing the mark.

And yet, in those moments where the mark was missed, our own missed mark will be quick to be critical on the dance card.

...Was that clever enough for you, Flynn?

Or would it have been better to be mean, like you tried to do?

Perhaps a quick review of recent history is in order. Don't worry Dolly, I'll get to yours in a moment, if only because Flynn's is longer, and the comparison isn't even close.

The year of 2024 for Mark Flynn saw him with plenty of momentum on his side. A fresh title loss will do that, after all. And all the talk, all the build-up to Free For All led to Mark Flynn...coming up short against a man who walked out of the match all on his own.

But hey, this would not be the only shortcoming in Flynn's recent history, right? March Madness was right around the corner! At last, Flynn's opportunity presented itself in the form of the semi-finals, where...he was once again trounced by the man who would be king.

And then there is our little back and forth.

I can understand the frustration welling up inside of you. You were throwing everything you could into finding that piece of the summit for yourself. And when what was new failed to work, you reverted back to what you were familiar with. Dragging up the history of failings. Pointing out that my exploits were not good enough in your eyes. It was all an attempt to fill me with doubt.

But that, sadly, would not be enough. I've proven my worth enough times to know the opportunities I earn are truly earned, not given in pity. Imagine thinking that handing out chances knowing they would not matter. It must be torture to think about.

Now, as I've said numerous times, boasting about a single victory over another wrestler isn't really my style. After all, on a different night you could have humbled me.

...But isn't the recurring theme of "one step forward, two steps back" not clicking in yet?

See, the more you attempt to try at anything beyond your nature, it falls flat. Being "nice" or being "mean" isn't working out well in either case. Rather, if you are simply Mark Flynn, throwing out the notions of what is "nice" and what is "mean," perhaps you would fare better.

That said, because you couldn't do the job well enough the first go around, Dolly Waters has been introduced into the mix. See? Even here in the description, you have earned second billing. Hopefully you take this with no offense; alphabetized is the preferred ordering, after all.

So Dolly makes her triumphant return, bringing her newfound determination to the fore.

Or I should say, her triumphant return...again.

I don't intend to be cruel; after all, your notice of me, whether it was through tarot or your own insight, helped me get recognition, in a way. That strong determination is also an admirable trait.

It is simply too bad that your determination in this reboot of Dolly Waters has also left you overestimating your opposition.

If there is one thing we can count on Dolly being, it is consistently trying to define herself...which is actually a similar trait in Flynn, now that I think on it.

See, even when you claim to have changed, you also can't help but revert. Is it a curse? Do you reach a certain number of returns and suddenly you realize just how similar you sound from just a few months back? Does it simply not catch on? Perhaps redefining yourself means the usual go-tos are open once more.

As I said before, cruelty is not my intent behind these words.

Only disappointment.

The constant shifting of ideals, the compromising situations that occur when your new outlook suddenly doesn't hold the same sway, the reversion to a place of familiarity. These are all things that define the two of you.

But for myself?

Being my true self defines me.

And what is my true self, you ask?

A man who, since first setting foot between the ropes, has rarely, if ever, changed his convictions. That knowing full well that my path would be a long one, but rewarding in the end. Now that I am nearing the end of one path, a fork opens in the middle of the road, surrounded by the fruits of my labor. Neither road is a horrible option, though one is the road to glory, my intended destination.

You two are road blocks on that path.

And I am prepared...to barrel on through.