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X-treme Wrestling Federation » Warfare Boards » Warfare RP Board
Series Finale (Part One)
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Dionysus Offline
Active in XWF



XWF FanBase:
Some of everyone

(cheered; very rarely plays dirty but isn't lame either; many likable qualities)


#1
05-17-2024, 10:36 PM


I took a deep breath of the crisp, spring air.

...Only to immediately sneeze it back out.

Damn pollen.

But even that couldn't get me down. Not after that session with Dr. Elbrook.

In a way, he was right. What was I waiting for when it came to Ellie and I?

She makes me happy.

I make her happy.

Isn't that what really matters in the end?

Who cares about the silly labels we try to tie to our acquaintances?

And yet...I still feel drawn.

I doubt she is the proverbial "one." I don't really believe in such a thing. But someone like her rarely comes along.


All these thoughts swam in my head as I strolled through Uptown. Truth be told, I was so absorbed in my own thoughts that I stopped paying attention to where I was going. Thankfully I didn't wander into traffic...not that that would matter; the traffic has so much stop and go you'd think they were running for Congress.

...Dear lord, I'm in a Jay Leno Opening Sketch mood. That can't bode well.

I should give her a call, arrange to meet up. Maybe for lunch. Or would dinner be better?

...Oh wait, I'm nearby her gym. I'll just go visit quick. I'm in the area, after all.


I snapped myself out of my own thinking, looking around at my surroundings.

While Uptown does have many unique buildings anyone could use as landmarks to get around...I seemed to have stumbled into an unfamiliar part of town. The buildings were much further away from each other, uncommon for an area known for its tight proximity. Plenty of empty lots and privacy hedges too. As I looked around, something else seemed very peculiar about the location.

The sound of traffic.

The sound of the wind rushing between buildings.

The sounds of wildlife.

Of people walking down the street.

None of that was present.

The only sounds I could hear were my breath and my heart beating.

...Oh, and the voices.

It was low. Distant. Almost ethereal.

But that was there too. Behind me.

As I turned to look, a long hallway stood before me.

I had seen something like this before...it felt like ages since I had last seen it. During that time, soothing voices led me to cloud my own judgment. But now, I was prepared to face what lay ahead.

I steeled myself. Taking in a deep breath and swallowing hard, I walked into the hallway.

I took three steps...then stopped. When I turned to look back...

...All I saw was the hallway. One long, endless corridor.

I don't know how long I walked for. It could have been seconds...minutes...

Hours, even...

It was as though everything had been turned upside down.

My perceptions were being toyed with.

Everything, and nothing, began to make sense.

And yet onward I walked, knowing full well that standing still would be futile.

As I did, the chorus of voices grew. Not in laughter, like I would normally hear them. Nor were they cheering. It was a chorus of confusion, of frantic whispers wondering just what I was up to, presumably. The wave of confusion grew stronger, and the more I strode forward, the greater was the pressure to reach the end. It was as though a force was holding me back.

I felt my knees buckle underneath me, darkness beginning to overtake my vision.

Ah, I was mistaken...

The force itself was not getting stronger...

I was...getting...

...Weaker...

...


"...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.

Nooooooooo...This will not dooooo.

The voice I heard sounded sinister, though rounding out the tone of its words hid this fact. It was deep...not guttural, but simply a deep, low sound. It was amplified by voices of angered agreement, a protest of unknown origin.

"Who is there?" I asked.

The uuuuuusual queeestion. What a trooooooope.

The voices responded with laughter.

Mocking me.

Chastising me.

Look at how small Dionysus looked.

I looked around as the chorus grew louder once more. The uncertainty turned into confidence, as I exclaimed, "I demand to know who you are!"

The voices gasped. The chrous was silenced. "If you will not show yourself, then I will drag you out,"

...

The deep voice was silenced as well.

Then...a deliberate sliding was heard directly behind me.

This was the moment. The thing of my nightmares now approached me. I needed to have nerves of steel to get through this trying ordeal.

The sliding stopped. A deep sigh was unleashed.

Thisssss...goooooes agaaaaainst...my scriiiiiipt...

I turned slowly, confused by its last statement.

"What do you mean it goes...

Against...

Your...scri..."

...

...

...

[Image: fd5wy6n57u471.png]

There were a host of things I was prepared to see.

An elongated face with piercing eyes...was definitely not one of them.


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.

[Image: Many-Faces.png]
1x XWF Xtreme Champion (November 2023)
2x XWF Television Champion (May/August 2023)
2x RP of the Month (March/October 2023)
2023 Rookie of the Year
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Misty Waters (05-17-2024), Theo Pryce (05-18-2024)




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