10-17-2019, 07:18 AM
10-22-2019, 11:57 PM
OOC: Some of this may feel like it's treading similar water to my last CD back at Apocalypse, but I went with it anyway to show the progression of Aaron's potentially deteriorating mental state as he continues to deal with the aftermath of the Dylan incident from my RtG RP and the impending ordeal with one of his mental demons gone rogue. It gave me a chance to do a few things I haven't incorporated in a while, but primarily this was to build towards what I plan to do for Under Attack while also potentially playing with an idea from last Breakdown that may or may not surface on this show, pending whatever plans Olek already has in the works regarding Blackbourne's current angle.
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Sometimes, Aaron couldn’t help but wonder if there was some kind of force in the universe that simply felt he had no right to be at peace. And for once, he wasn’t completely referring to Nemesis either.
Apocalypse had been a high point for the artistic spirit that he had desperately been in need of for quite some time, overcoming Syren despite everything she threw at him on top of hoping to stack the odds in her favor with CHBK and Alexander Crowe in her corner. True, it wasn’t a title win, but the fact that he had earned a clean, hard-fought victory over a woman who felt like she had a stranglehold on the SCW main event scene for many years at this point was a major step in the right direction. Syren had no excuses to fall back on no matter what she may think up… Apocalypse 2019 would forever be remembered as the night she was outwrestled by Aaron Blackbourne and perhaps shouldn’t have deluded herself into thinking her pedestal was unassailable.
Now, Aaron had made himself pretty clear on the following Breakdown in order to answer several questions he knew people would have and simultaneously silence certain individuals he knew were squawking awful loudly on twitter leading up to the show. Yes, he’d beaten Syren, but despite being arguably the biggest victory of his career up to this point it was still just one win. In his mind, it wasn’t enough to warrant World Title contention, and even if Sasha had been willing to offer him a one-on-one shot or a place in the Chamber he’ was more than ready to turn it down. Nothing against joining some of his friends and allies in the main event picture they’d all been busting their asses for a while now to break into, but he didn’t believe he was a hundred percent ready to be at that point just yet. True, it meant Syren could have her chance to try and resume her tyranny and she would likely never shut up about the fact she was owed a rematch as it was, but there were still three months left in the year and Aaron planned on making the most of them to reach a level where he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was well and truly ready.
Of course, he wasn’t surprised in hindsight when life decided to challenge the peace and upward momentum he was suddenly gaining.
On the SCW front, he could only shake his head as his Breakdown address was cut off by Abigail Lindsay, and while she could claim all she wanted about wanting a crack at him for herself, he took such words with a grain of salt considering she’d made it pretty clear as of late she was an ally to Infamous and it was too convenient that she suddenly saw a target on his back after he’d dispatched of their most valuable asset. If it was truly about trying to gain any sort of ground in SCW for herself, she had all the time in the world to target Syren before Aaron even had the chance, considering how much she was trying to ‘play games’ with Ravyn for most of the year. With both Owen and Alistaire in the Chamber alongside Syren, though, it was hard to overlook any sort of ‘plan’ that would happen to involve being absolutely sure he was too tied up to help if need be should Syren pull a stunt like she had on the last Breakdown in Vancouver.
A stunt he was powerless to stop because SCW officials had ordered him to stay home as a safety precaution.
That was something Aaron couldn’t help but ponder as he set himself up in his apartment back in Seattle to try and truly lose himself in the relaxing bliss of his artistic endeavors for the first time in a while. On one hand, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated that he was told to stay home despite doctors clearing him to be present. Not only did it keep him from being able to potentially compete and continue proving himself and improving his skills, but in a way, it also fed into this narrative being started by the likes of Sienna Swann and company that he was simply one of Sasha’s ‘chosen ones’ and was being both protected and handed the world all at the same time, just like Syren and friends were back when Katya was calling the shots, when all he truly cared for was earning his opportunities the right way through his desire to work hard and prove himself when it mattered most.
On the other hand, he could understand where SCW was coming from. He did make a fairly reckless call competing at Rise to Greatness despite a serious injury even though he had his reasons for doing so, and to some degree, he wasn’t completely back at full strength when going after Syren. Between that and the chaos being brought forth by some people over possible concussions in the wake of Xander Valentine’s antics, it was hard to argue with Sasha if she felt forcing you to take a show off was the right decision. When you added in his own doubts about where he was at mentally right now after everything that went down that weekend in July, among other things, then maybe taking a show off completely wasn’t a bad idea after all.
“The last thing I need is to publicly fall apart because the embodiment of all my stress and negative feelings won’t let go of his last solid hook in my psyche.”
With Liane out doing some shopping and picking up a package that’d been waiting for her at the post office while she and Aaron were on the road, he decided it had been far too long since he’d dabbled in some good old-fashioned traditional painting, hence why his easel was set up with one of the few blank canvases he had left in the little room that doubled as an art gallery of sorts whenever he needed to be among some of his most cherished works to clear his head. Organizing his paint so he didn’t need to look at what colors he was grabbing with his brush, he knew this time was the perfect moment to forget about the mess in his head that kept him from being fully comfortable with how well things had been going lately. Considering that before Apocalypse he had to miss the tail end of his fiancée’s comedy performance because he started seeing and hearing things that weren’t really there, he knew how desperate Nemesis was becoming. With his imagination starting to stabilize between Dylan’s death and the truce he managed to reach with the Twin Stars that put an end to at least half of the senseless war that was tearing his mind apart, all his twisted reflection had left to grasp at was the lingering guilt over whether or not what happened that night could be considered murder on Aaron’s part, despite both facts and official reports confirming the exact opposite.
Dylan ended up getting too overzealous and inadvertently took his own life, and being the aggressor throughout the entire confrontation solidified that Aaron was simply defending himself with evasive actions and nothing more.
Aaron took a deep breath before laying down the first layers of paint, slowly allowing himself to fade away into his imagination taking over and breathing life into whatever ended up on the canvas. He didn’t have any actual subject in mind, so it was a justified excuse to let whatever popped into his head materialize before his very eyes. Even if it wasn’t the greatest work he’d ever done, at least being able to paint in peace and let his mind wander to places where his problems couldn’t bother him would help moving forward. After all, he’d heard that he was a lock for dealing with Abigail at Under Attack by this point and would get a match on the upcoming Breakdown to keep his momentum going, and with the pieces slowly falling into place in his imaginary world for a final assault that would hopefully do away with the toxic tyranny of Nemesis once and for all, the less he let those issues consume his every waking thought the better off he knew he’d be when the time came.
Excuse me, but what makes you believe you’ve earned the right to be in any state of zen right now?
Aaron heard the familiar voice nagging at him, but did his best to shut it out. The moment he gave Nemesis any form of acknowledgment, all of this would be lost. He simply kept a blank gaze to the canvas as stroke after stroke gave way to more and more of a picture.
“Of course you’d relax, you callous murderer. You got your pound of flesh and now it’s time to make a masterpiece out of it.”
Aaron’s brush stopped, the bristles just barely touching the canvas as he let out a low growl. Of course, he’d fall back on playing Dylan’s voice now to try and keep him as far away from being relaxed as possible.
“Why can’t you just give this up and leave me alone? You have no power over me right now, and hoping Abigail will change that is a bet with odds not even you would feel comfortable with.”
“You dug your own grave when you decided to target a stable known for coming out on top at the very end by any means necessary.”
Aaron closed his eyes and shook his head, hoping it would help. Upon opening his eyes, though, he jumped back in surprise as he saw the paint on his canvas giving form to what very clearly resembled Dylan’s face, only with his eyes being a blank white and blood slowly leaking from an open wound in his throat. His hand tightened around his brush as he moved to paint over this, only for movement to catch his attention. Looking around the room, every single painting or printed design that adorned the walls suddenly either resembled the gruesome image mere inches away from him or had warped into the horrifying appearance of the one entity that continued to plague him to no end for reasons no one else would ever fully comprehend.
“That’s just how you always operate Aaron: picking fights with those you know you should just leave well enough alone.”
“Or playing the victim when the narrative best suits you as the ‘hero’ of your own life story.”
“When’s the last time you could actually take responsibility for being innocent as opposed to the messed-up monster we all know you are deep inside?”
“Really? I’m a monster? I’m pretty sure the fact that I was able to repair the burned bridges with my family and have someone truly special in my life now is proof of the opposite. Besides, you know as well as I do Nemesis that the only reason I could be on that train of thought is because you keep interjecting yourself when you know I want nothing to do with you.”
For a moment, silence was the only response that met his ears. It was a moment of false hope, though, as seconds later he felt his world being consumed by twisted laughter that made his head want to explode. Nemesis’ laughter had haunted enough of his dreams, and Dylan’s was something straight out of a slasher flick about a deranged psychopath who killed just because. Mixing the two together made him feel like his blood pressure was skyrocketing with each passing second, his vision almost starting to blur.
“You end the life of another human being and claim you’re not a monster? Even if you get away with that on me, what about Andrew? What about the brother you heartlessly abandoned because you ignored his cries for help until it was too late?”
“You know damn well I tried to help him so many times I lost count, just like the rest of the family! He kept going back to what was hurting him-”
“And yet you thought leaving everything behind because they were too much of a burden on you would solve all your problems? You left him at the mercy of that monster, just like you believed you’d be stress-free if you traveled to the other end of the country when you know full well you can never escape the darkness coded into your very DNA from birth.”
Aaron closed his eyes, trying desperately to make this living nightmare just fade away into nothingness. His grip on the paintbrush tightened when he heard the two entities haunting him begin chanting that he was nothing more than a ‘selfish lunatic,’ his teeth gritting as his attempts to simply ignore them were lost as their voices pounded in his thoughts like the beats of a war drum. Before he fully realized what was going on, he could feel his body almost reacting on its own, the brush being dunked into some paint before his arm was moving across the canvas wildly. While he kept his eyes closed to blind himself to whatever he was doing, it almost felt like his creative instincts were taking over in a last-ditch effort to save him from this delirious plunge into oblivion. As he blindly illustrated something onto the canvas, the voices slowly began to fade away, almost like he truly was painting over them and removing them from existence for the moment. He didn’t know how much time had truly passed, but he finally felt the brush leave his hand and fall to the tarp he’d laid out on the floor as he took several deep breaths, a cold sweat trickling down his body as he very slowly started to regain his composure. Once he felt like he’d calmed down enough, he slowly began to open his eyes, but closed them again when he felt a familiar pair of arms wrap themselves around his shoulders and rest their hands on his pounding chest.
“I didn’t know you could turn painting into a workout routine, but you’re breathing heavily enough it sure feels like you found a way.”
A smile slowly crept onto Aaron’s lips as he felt himself melt in Liane’s embrace. He didn’t know when she’d come home, but he was glad that she was. Another second with the voices in his head and he was certain he’d try jamming the paintbrush into his brain in a desperate attempt to make it stop.
“God, I’m so glad you’re home Liane.”
“I didn’t think you’d miss me that much while I was just out doing some errands. Love the piece, by the way… though I didn’t think you’d actually take that woman up on her suggestion of ‘painting her a pretty picture.’”
Aaron slowly opened his eyes finally at that, and sure enough, the completed painting staring back at him was quite the masterpiece in and of itself, and also fit Liane’s words to a tee. He recalled the mocking suggestion Abigail had made to him while addressing his absence about painting her a picture, and his imagination decided to apparently run with that. Once his eyes caught sight of a familiar ‘cursed’ design inserted prominently into the piece, he silently thanked whatever entity declared itself the embodiment of his creativity for bailing him out when he desperately needed help.
“Well, maybe part of me wanted to see how serious she was about cherishing my art, though I doubt she’ll have much luck actually using this for inspiration on taking me out. It certainly beats seeing a bloody Dylan staring back at me, mocking me for what happened back on that weekend…”
The mere mention of this caused Liane to hug him tighter as his hand slowly moved up to rest on her own.
“Oh no… don’t tell me you had another breakdown like you did backstage during my routine weeks ago.”
“Unfortunately… all I could see was both Dylan and Nemesis instead of any of my art in this room, mocking me for the monster they think I am and insisting there’s nothing in my life that can change that. It’s starting to get so bad I’m actually considering going to see someone, though I know how they’ll probably see it and I’ll be stuck watching SCW progress on without me from the confines of a padded cell.”
Liane leaned her head over his shoulder so she could pull him into a kiss, and he gently returned it as he felt himself enter the state of zen he’d hoped simply painting would’ve gotten him into. If anyone knew how shaky he was over the prospect of dealing with anybody in regards to getting his mental state evaluated, it was her. After all, how many doctorates do you need to truly be able to tell the difference between genuine problems and letting your imagination run wild because you’re too stressed to keep it separate from reality? And perhaps even worse, how many of those specialists would be jumping at the chance to be able to use Aaron as the basis for a tell-all book to make bank off of while feeding his issues until they actually do become a problem of truly genuine concern for the well-being of himself and those around him?
“I don’t know how much you’d consider it, but my sister Louise has a bit of knowledge about psychology. I wouldn’t really call her much of a shrink since she’s more interested in actual sciences and all that, but she knows enough that maybe she’d be your best bet without anyone really judging you. I can’t make any promises though, considering how blunt and straightforward she tends to be.”
Aaron took a moment to mull it over, considering he really had nothing left to lose. From what he remembered of Louise back when he’d met all of Liane’s siblings, the little brainiac certainly fit the description Liane provided all too well, but if she could help in a way that was officially off the record, maybe it was worth a shot. Personally, he’d prefer if everything worked out with the plan he was building with Dreambender and Gleeful so it never got to that point, but if any lingering trauma of Dylan’s attack and subsequent downfall was still plaguing his thoughts, he knew it would be weaponized until something gave him real peace over the whole ordeal.
“I’ll keep it in mind Liane… I may also see if I can talk with Owen if I get a chance after Under Attack since I planned to see if I could help him get set up for the Halloween party. I still don’t know all the exact details, but I think he went through a similar experience so maybe…”
He trailed off, knowing there was just as much of a possibility that ordeal from months ago might still be a sore subject for the current World Champion. Maybe it’d be a topic he could carefully weave into the conversation if he got some one-on-one time with his friend without prying ears that could take advantage of whatever they’d catch, but he also wanted to tread lightly on how much of the goings-on of his mind he let slip. He knew Owen had proven himself trustworthy after how long they’d known each other and what they did share, but he also knew that very few truly understood the way his mind functioned and a bombshell like this could easily throw a friendship into disarray with little prior context.
“You know I love you and will help and support however I can babe. That, um… might be why I’ve got a good idea of how to spend the rest of our night, thanks to that package that was waiting for me, courtesy of Lina.”
The moment he heard the name of Liane’s fashion designer sister, he couldn’t help but be intrigued as Liane let go of him so he could turn around, and he immediately understood what she meant when he found her adorned in what had to be another of Lina’s ‘special gifts’ to help their relationship. Between their respective careers and touring for them along with the physical and mental toll that Aaron had undergone following his brother’s death, it had truly been a while since they’d really indulged in such desires, but the sight of Liane in arguably the skimpiest lingerie in human history, designed with paint splatters to appeal to his artistic side while looking fully ready to explode off her body at any moment, made him realize how badly he truly needed such a moment with her after so long. It was a night full of relaxing and fun he never fully realized he needed until now, but it was a welcome relief to remind him that no matter how rough the storm got going forward, there were always upsides that would keep him anchored to reality and what he would always have to keep him fighting onward.
That feels like it’s been the story of my life so far, and not just with my wrestling career. For every moment of hope and good thing that’s graced my life, it always seems like not too far behind it is some entity fixated with making sure it’s but a fleeting glimmer at best. Knowing I had an Adrenaline Title opportunity on the horizon ran into rough waters when I found out my brother was no longer with us, my shot at the U.S. Title was almost ripped away from me entirely by a man who was obsessed with having me join my brother in the next life… and just when it seems like I’ve finally got everything looking rosy when I pin Syren clean in the middle of that ring, I’m conveniently targeted by someone who just so happens to have some ties to her through a mutual ally in Ravyn Taylor.
But of course, if you ask Abigail Lindsay, she’ll tell you that pursuing me was her plan all along… regardless of whether or not you believe her, the fact of the matter is that she’s helping a few people she’s probably not exactly friends with because of her own cohorts paint a picture of me that I can’t help but disagree with.
Let me say this for the record: I’m not the biggest fan of being told to stay home last week and miss the Breakdown in Vancouver. I get it, there were some concerns considering Abi attacked me the week prior and I may still have some lingering issues stemming from the pre-Rise to Greatness attack I sustained months ago, but I was cleared by doctors and was more than ready to throw down at a moment’s notice if need be. In being told it was in my best interest to stay home and rest, not only do people like the Beauty Factory get to keep spreading their propaganda about how I’m simply one of Sasha’s ‘chosen children’ and haven’t been willing to earn everything I’ve spent the past year fighting for, but I was also forced to watch the likes of Infamous play their games at the expense of people I consider good friends of mine. Owen and Alistaire were targeted by a chair-wielding Syren, Peyton found herself caught up in an ambush that was more aimed at her opponent that night but Infamous has no qualms about collateral damage if it benefits them… and all the while I couldn’t be there to do anything about it, and Abi no doubt takes delight in that fact because she followed her marching orders from Ravyn well.
This week, though? That’s going to change because I’ll be in Kansas City for Breakdown, and I plan on making a statement as only I can.
I know Abi will be lurking around, and while I plan on properly dealing with you come Under Attack, I may or may not have something you might be interested in before we get to St. Louis. Until then, my focus is entirely on a man who, at one point in time, was considered one of SCW’s most dangerous entities, to the point where many refer to him as ‘The Devil Himself.’ It’s funny… Damian Angel has been on my radar for quite some time, though I doubt I’ve been on his. After all, he became a person of interest to me around the time his old friend Giovanni Aries thought he could have some fun at the expense of my bud Owen, but instead of trying to involve himself in my business to be absolutely sure Gio could get what he wanted out of that ordeal he decided to play games with others. Lately, it seems like he’s picked up a hobby in walking out onto the stage just to observe certain individuals he feels like targeting, and this practice seems to have put Peyton in his crosshairs.
Now, I know and respect Peyton well enough to make it clear that despite being a friend I’m not going to fight battles I know she’s more than capable of winning on her own, but I also know it wouldn’t hurt to make it clear myself about why you’re better off playing your games with somebody else Damian.
I bet you were quite happy with yourself last week, watching from a distance as Infamous sought to put Peyton out of commission before you met her in the ring this upcoming Sunday, huh Damian? Why should the so-called ‘devil’ bother getting his hands dirty, after all, when others can make his job easier? I’m afraid that line of thinking is exactly why you and I are dancing this week, because you need to realize just like so many others that, just like life itself, SCW has moved on from the days where you could be the sadistic tyrant bending everything to your whims. Like it or not, even you are going to have to earn your keep around here now, something Peyton’s done every single week of her TV Title reign and something I’m more than happy to do regardless of how others want to try and label me.
After all, if I was content with simply being a ‘golden child’ because Sasha respects the way I want to handle myself around here, then why was I so willing to give up a main event slot I fully admit I’m not ready for just yet?
You may call me a fool for such a decision Damian, but your words will only hold any weight if you can prevent yourself from being another former World Champion I’ve managed to defeat fair and square in the middle of that ring on nothing more than my skills and my ingenuity. I’m not like anything you’ve ever faced before… the demons I deal with every day are a whole different breed than anything you might claim to be, and to go from simply observing to having to actually earn your keep is a whole different ballgame no matter who stands across the ring from you. Last week gave me all the reason in the world to look forward to this match, and no amount of games or hopes that I’ll be afraid of you are going to stop me from giving the fans a preview of not only what Peyton’s going to prove against you come Sunday, but also what Abigail may expect from me when she actually has to stand toe-to-toe as opposed to the same old Infamous hit-and-run tactics.
Or maybe I could be painting a picture that’s too deep for either one of you to fully understand what awaits you.
The only thing you know for sure you’re getting from me is one hell of a fight Damian, and I hope you’re ready to understand exactly why your brand of chaos holds no power anymore in SCW’s continued evolution.
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Sometimes, Aaron couldn’t help but wonder if there was some kind of force in the universe that simply felt he had no right to be at peace. And for once, he wasn’t completely referring to Nemesis either.
Apocalypse had been a high point for the artistic spirit that he had desperately been in need of for quite some time, overcoming Syren despite everything she threw at him on top of hoping to stack the odds in her favor with CHBK and Alexander Crowe in her corner. True, it wasn’t a title win, but the fact that he had earned a clean, hard-fought victory over a woman who felt like she had a stranglehold on the SCW main event scene for many years at this point was a major step in the right direction. Syren had no excuses to fall back on no matter what she may think up… Apocalypse 2019 would forever be remembered as the night she was outwrestled by Aaron Blackbourne and perhaps shouldn’t have deluded herself into thinking her pedestal was unassailable.
Now, Aaron had made himself pretty clear on the following Breakdown in order to answer several questions he knew people would have and simultaneously silence certain individuals he knew were squawking awful loudly on twitter leading up to the show. Yes, he’d beaten Syren, but despite being arguably the biggest victory of his career up to this point it was still just one win. In his mind, it wasn’t enough to warrant World Title contention, and even if Sasha had been willing to offer him a one-on-one shot or a place in the Chamber he’ was more than ready to turn it down. Nothing against joining some of his friends and allies in the main event picture they’d all been busting their asses for a while now to break into, but he didn’t believe he was a hundred percent ready to be at that point just yet. True, it meant Syren could have her chance to try and resume her tyranny and she would likely never shut up about the fact she was owed a rematch as it was, but there were still three months left in the year and Aaron planned on making the most of them to reach a level where he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was well and truly ready.
Of course, he wasn’t surprised in hindsight when life decided to challenge the peace and upward momentum he was suddenly gaining.
On the SCW front, he could only shake his head as his Breakdown address was cut off by Abigail Lindsay, and while she could claim all she wanted about wanting a crack at him for herself, he took such words with a grain of salt considering she’d made it pretty clear as of late she was an ally to Infamous and it was too convenient that she suddenly saw a target on his back after he’d dispatched of their most valuable asset. If it was truly about trying to gain any sort of ground in SCW for herself, she had all the time in the world to target Syren before Aaron even had the chance, considering how much she was trying to ‘play games’ with Ravyn for most of the year. With both Owen and Alistaire in the Chamber alongside Syren, though, it was hard to overlook any sort of ‘plan’ that would happen to involve being absolutely sure he was too tied up to help if need be should Syren pull a stunt like she had on the last Breakdown in Vancouver.
A stunt he was powerless to stop because SCW officials had ordered him to stay home as a safety precaution.
That was something Aaron couldn’t help but ponder as he set himself up in his apartment back in Seattle to try and truly lose himself in the relaxing bliss of his artistic endeavors for the first time in a while. On one hand, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated that he was told to stay home despite doctors clearing him to be present. Not only did it keep him from being able to potentially compete and continue proving himself and improving his skills, but in a way, it also fed into this narrative being started by the likes of Sienna Swann and company that he was simply one of Sasha’s ‘chosen ones’ and was being both protected and handed the world all at the same time, just like Syren and friends were back when Katya was calling the shots, when all he truly cared for was earning his opportunities the right way through his desire to work hard and prove himself when it mattered most.
On the other hand, he could understand where SCW was coming from. He did make a fairly reckless call competing at Rise to Greatness despite a serious injury even though he had his reasons for doing so, and to some degree, he wasn’t completely back at full strength when going after Syren. Between that and the chaos being brought forth by some people over possible concussions in the wake of Xander Valentine’s antics, it was hard to argue with Sasha if she felt forcing you to take a show off was the right decision. When you added in his own doubts about where he was at mentally right now after everything that went down that weekend in July, among other things, then maybe taking a show off completely wasn’t a bad idea after all.
“The last thing I need is to publicly fall apart because the embodiment of all my stress and negative feelings won’t let go of his last solid hook in my psyche.”
With Liane out doing some shopping and picking up a package that’d been waiting for her at the post office while she and Aaron were on the road, he decided it had been far too long since he’d dabbled in some good old-fashioned traditional painting, hence why his easel was set up with one of the few blank canvases he had left in the little room that doubled as an art gallery of sorts whenever he needed to be among some of his most cherished works to clear his head. Organizing his paint so he didn’t need to look at what colors he was grabbing with his brush, he knew this time was the perfect moment to forget about the mess in his head that kept him from being fully comfortable with how well things had been going lately. Considering that before Apocalypse he had to miss the tail end of his fiancée’s comedy performance because he started seeing and hearing things that weren’t really there, he knew how desperate Nemesis was becoming. With his imagination starting to stabilize between Dylan’s death and the truce he managed to reach with the Twin Stars that put an end to at least half of the senseless war that was tearing his mind apart, all his twisted reflection had left to grasp at was the lingering guilt over whether or not what happened that night could be considered murder on Aaron’s part, despite both facts and official reports confirming the exact opposite.
Dylan ended up getting too overzealous and inadvertently took his own life, and being the aggressor throughout the entire confrontation solidified that Aaron was simply defending himself with evasive actions and nothing more.
Aaron took a deep breath before laying down the first layers of paint, slowly allowing himself to fade away into his imagination taking over and breathing life into whatever ended up on the canvas. He didn’t have any actual subject in mind, so it was a justified excuse to let whatever popped into his head materialize before his very eyes. Even if it wasn’t the greatest work he’d ever done, at least being able to paint in peace and let his mind wander to places where his problems couldn’t bother him would help moving forward. After all, he’d heard that he was a lock for dealing with Abigail at Under Attack by this point and would get a match on the upcoming Breakdown to keep his momentum going, and with the pieces slowly falling into place in his imaginary world for a final assault that would hopefully do away with the toxic tyranny of Nemesis once and for all, the less he let those issues consume his every waking thought the better off he knew he’d be when the time came.
Excuse me, but what makes you believe you’ve earned the right to be in any state of zen right now?
Aaron heard the familiar voice nagging at him, but did his best to shut it out. The moment he gave Nemesis any form of acknowledgment, all of this would be lost. He simply kept a blank gaze to the canvas as stroke after stroke gave way to more and more of a picture.
“Of course you’d relax, you callous murderer. You got your pound of flesh and now it’s time to make a masterpiece out of it.”
Aaron’s brush stopped, the bristles just barely touching the canvas as he let out a low growl. Of course, he’d fall back on playing Dylan’s voice now to try and keep him as far away from being relaxed as possible.
“Why can’t you just give this up and leave me alone? You have no power over me right now, and hoping Abigail will change that is a bet with odds not even you would feel comfortable with.”
“You dug your own grave when you decided to target a stable known for coming out on top at the very end by any means necessary.”
Aaron closed his eyes and shook his head, hoping it would help. Upon opening his eyes, though, he jumped back in surprise as he saw the paint on his canvas giving form to what very clearly resembled Dylan’s face, only with his eyes being a blank white and blood slowly leaking from an open wound in his throat. His hand tightened around his brush as he moved to paint over this, only for movement to catch his attention. Looking around the room, every single painting or printed design that adorned the walls suddenly either resembled the gruesome image mere inches away from him or had warped into the horrifying appearance of the one entity that continued to plague him to no end for reasons no one else would ever fully comprehend.
“That’s just how you always operate Aaron: picking fights with those you know you should just leave well enough alone.”
“Or playing the victim when the narrative best suits you as the ‘hero’ of your own life story.”
“When’s the last time you could actually take responsibility for being innocent as opposed to the messed-up monster we all know you are deep inside?”
“Really? I’m a monster? I’m pretty sure the fact that I was able to repair the burned bridges with my family and have someone truly special in my life now is proof of the opposite. Besides, you know as well as I do Nemesis that the only reason I could be on that train of thought is because you keep interjecting yourself when you know I want nothing to do with you.”
For a moment, silence was the only response that met his ears. It was a moment of false hope, though, as seconds later he felt his world being consumed by twisted laughter that made his head want to explode. Nemesis’ laughter had haunted enough of his dreams, and Dylan’s was something straight out of a slasher flick about a deranged psychopath who killed just because. Mixing the two together made him feel like his blood pressure was skyrocketing with each passing second, his vision almost starting to blur.
“You end the life of another human being and claim you’re not a monster? Even if you get away with that on me, what about Andrew? What about the brother you heartlessly abandoned because you ignored his cries for help until it was too late?”
“You know damn well I tried to help him so many times I lost count, just like the rest of the family! He kept going back to what was hurting him-”
“And yet you thought leaving everything behind because they were too much of a burden on you would solve all your problems? You left him at the mercy of that monster, just like you believed you’d be stress-free if you traveled to the other end of the country when you know full well you can never escape the darkness coded into your very DNA from birth.”
Aaron closed his eyes, trying desperately to make this living nightmare just fade away into nothingness. His grip on the paintbrush tightened when he heard the two entities haunting him begin chanting that he was nothing more than a ‘selfish lunatic,’ his teeth gritting as his attempts to simply ignore them were lost as their voices pounded in his thoughts like the beats of a war drum. Before he fully realized what was going on, he could feel his body almost reacting on its own, the brush being dunked into some paint before his arm was moving across the canvas wildly. While he kept his eyes closed to blind himself to whatever he was doing, it almost felt like his creative instincts were taking over in a last-ditch effort to save him from this delirious plunge into oblivion. As he blindly illustrated something onto the canvas, the voices slowly began to fade away, almost like he truly was painting over them and removing them from existence for the moment. He didn’t know how much time had truly passed, but he finally felt the brush leave his hand and fall to the tarp he’d laid out on the floor as he took several deep breaths, a cold sweat trickling down his body as he very slowly started to regain his composure. Once he felt like he’d calmed down enough, he slowly began to open his eyes, but closed them again when he felt a familiar pair of arms wrap themselves around his shoulders and rest their hands on his pounding chest.
“I didn’t know you could turn painting into a workout routine, but you’re breathing heavily enough it sure feels like you found a way.”
A smile slowly crept onto Aaron’s lips as he felt himself melt in Liane’s embrace. He didn’t know when she’d come home, but he was glad that she was. Another second with the voices in his head and he was certain he’d try jamming the paintbrush into his brain in a desperate attempt to make it stop.
“God, I’m so glad you’re home Liane.”
“I didn’t think you’d miss me that much while I was just out doing some errands. Love the piece, by the way… though I didn’t think you’d actually take that woman up on her suggestion of ‘painting her a pretty picture.’”
Aaron slowly opened his eyes finally at that, and sure enough, the completed painting staring back at him was quite the masterpiece in and of itself, and also fit Liane’s words to a tee. He recalled the mocking suggestion Abigail had made to him while addressing his absence about painting her a picture, and his imagination decided to apparently run with that. Once his eyes caught sight of a familiar ‘cursed’ design inserted prominently into the piece, he silently thanked whatever entity declared itself the embodiment of his creativity for bailing him out when he desperately needed help.
“Well, maybe part of me wanted to see how serious she was about cherishing my art, though I doubt she’ll have much luck actually using this for inspiration on taking me out. It certainly beats seeing a bloody Dylan staring back at me, mocking me for what happened back on that weekend…”
The mere mention of this caused Liane to hug him tighter as his hand slowly moved up to rest on her own.
“Oh no… don’t tell me you had another breakdown like you did backstage during my routine weeks ago.”
“Unfortunately… all I could see was both Dylan and Nemesis instead of any of my art in this room, mocking me for the monster they think I am and insisting there’s nothing in my life that can change that. It’s starting to get so bad I’m actually considering going to see someone, though I know how they’ll probably see it and I’ll be stuck watching SCW progress on without me from the confines of a padded cell.”
Liane leaned her head over his shoulder so she could pull him into a kiss, and he gently returned it as he felt himself enter the state of zen he’d hoped simply painting would’ve gotten him into. If anyone knew how shaky he was over the prospect of dealing with anybody in regards to getting his mental state evaluated, it was her. After all, how many doctorates do you need to truly be able to tell the difference between genuine problems and letting your imagination run wild because you’re too stressed to keep it separate from reality? And perhaps even worse, how many of those specialists would be jumping at the chance to be able to use Aaron as the basis for a tell-all book to make bank off of while feeding his issues until they actually do become a problem of truly genuine concern for the well-being of himself and those around him?
“I don’t know how much you’d consider it, but my sister Louise has a bit of knowledge about psychology. I wouldn’t really call her much of a shrink since she’s more interested in actual sciences and all that, but she knows enough that maybe she’d be your best bet without anyone really judging you. I can’t make any promises though, considering how blunt and straightforward she tends to be.”
Aaron took a moment to mull it over, considering he really had nothing left to lose. From what he remembered of Louise back when he’d met all of Liane’s siblings, the little brainiac certainly fit the description Liane provided all too well, but if she could help in a way that was officially off the record, maybe it was worth a shot. Personally, he’d prefer if everything worked out with the plan he was building with Dreambender and Gleeful so it never got to that point, but if any lingering trauma of Dylan’s attack and subsequent downfall was still plaguing his thoughts, he knew it would be weaponized until something gave him real peace over the whole ordeal.
“I’ll keep it in mind Liane… I may also see if I can talk with Owen if I get a chance after Under Attack since I planned to see if I could help him get set up for the Halloween party. I still don’t know all the exact details, but I think he went through a similar experience so maybe…”
He trailed off, knowing there was just as much of a possibility that ordeal from months ago might still be a sore subject for the current World Champion. Maybe it’d be a topic he could carefully weave into the conversation if he got some one-on-one time with his friend without prying ears that could take advantage of whatever they’d catch, but he also wanted to tread lightly on how much of the goings-on of his mind he let slip. He knew Owen had proven himself trustworthy after how long they’d known each other and what they did share, but he also knew that very few truly understood the way his mind functioned and a bombshell like this could easily throw a friendship into disarray with little prior context.
“You know I love you and will help and support however I can babe. That, um… might be why I’ve got a good idea of how to spend the rest of our night, thanks to that package that was waiting for me, courtesy of Lina.”
The moment he heard the name of Liane’s fashion designer sister, he couldn’t help but be intrigued as Liane let go of him so he could turn around, and he immediately understood what she meant when he found her adorned in what had to be another of Lina’s ‘special gifts’ to help their relationship. Between their respective careers and touring for them along with the physical and mental toll that Aaron had undergone following his brother’s death, it had truly been a while since they’d really indulged in such desires, but the sight of Liane in arguably the skimpiest lingerie in human history, designed with paint splatters to appeal to his artistic side while looking fully ready to explode off her body at any moment, made him realize how badly he truly needed such a moment with her after so long. It was a night full of relaxing and fun he never fully realized he needed until now, but it was a welcome relief to remind him that no matter how rough the storm got going forward, there were always upsides that would keep him anchored to reality and what he would always have to keep him fighting onward.
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Just when you think you’ve finally found daylight, something or someone comes along to try and drag you back into the darkness.That feels like it’s been the story of my life so far, and not just with my wrestling career. For every moment of hope and good thing that’s graced my life, it always seems like not too far behind it is some entity fixated with making sure it’s but a fleeting glimmer at best. Knowing I had an Adrenaline Title opportunity on the horizon ran into rough waters when I found out my brother was no longer with us, my shot at the U.S. Title was almost ripped away from me entirely by a man who was obsessed with having me join my brother in the next life… and just when it seems like I’ve finally got everything looking rosy when I pin Syren clean in the middle of that ring, I’m conveniently targeted by someone who just so happens to have some ties to her through a mutual ally in Ravyn Taylor.
But of course, if you ask Abigail Lindsay, she’ll tell you that pursuing me was her plan all along… regardless of whether or not you believe her, the fact of the matter is that she’s helping a few people she’s probably not exactly friends with because of her own cohorts paint a picture of me that I can’t help but disagree with.
Let me say this for the record: I’m not the biggest fan of being told to stay home last week and miss the Breakdown in Vancouver. I get it, there were some concerns considering Abi attacked me the week prior and I may still have some lingering issues stemming from the pre-Rise to Greatness attack I sustained months ago, but I was cleared by doctors and was more than ready to throw down at a moment’s notice if need be. In being told it was in my best interest to stay home and rest, not only do people like the Beauty Factory get to keep spreading their propaganda about how I’m simply one of Sasha’s ‘chosen children’ and haven’t been willing to earn everything I’ve spent the past year fighting for, but I was also forced to watch the likes of Infamous play their games at the expense of people I consider good friends of mine. Owen and Alistaire were targeted by a chair-wielding Syren, Peyton found herself caught up in an ambush that was more aimed at her opponent that night but Infamous has no qualms about collateral damage if it benefits them… and all the while I couldn’t be there to do anything about it, and Abi no doubt takes delight in that fact because she followed her marching orders from Ravyn well.
This week, though? That’s going to change because I’ll be in Kansas City for Breakdown, and I plan on making a statement as only I can.
I know Abi will be lurking around, and while I plan on properly dealing with you come Under Attack, I may or may not have something you might be interested in before we get to St. Louis. Until then, my focus is entirely on a man who, at one point in time, was considered one of SCW’s most dangerous entities, to the point where many refer to him as ‘The Devil Himself.’ It’s funny… Damian Angel has been on my radar for quite some time, though I doubt I’ve been on his. After all, he became a person of interest to me around the time his old friend Giovanni Aries thought he could have some fun at the expense of my bud Owen, but instead of trying to involve himself in my business to be absolutely sure Gio could get what he wanted out of that ordeal he decided to play games with others. Lately, it seems like he’s picked up a hobby in walking out onto the stage just to observe certain individuals he feels like targeting, and this practice seems to have put Peyton in his crosshairs.
Now, I know and respect Peyton well enough to make it clear that despite being a friend I’m not going to fight battles I know she’s more than capable of winning on her own, but I also know it wouldn’t hurt to make it clear myself about why you’re better off playing your games with somebody else Damian.
I bet you were quite happy with yourself last week, watching from a distance as Infamous sought to put Peyton out of commission before you met her in the ring this upcoming Sunday, huh Damian? Why should the so-called ‘devil’ bother getting his hands dirty, after all, when others can make his job easier? I’m afraid that line of thinking is exactly why you and I are dancing this week, because you need to realize just like so many others that, just like life itself, SCW has moved on from the days where you could be the sadistic tyrant bending everything to your whims. Like it or not, even you are going to have to earn your keep around here now, something Peyton’s done every single week of her TV Title reign and something I’m more than happy to do regardless of how others want to try and label me.
After all, if I was content with simply being a ‘golden child’ because Sasha respects the way I want to handle myself around here, then why was I so willing to give up a main event slot I fully admit I’m not ready for just yet?
You may call me a fool for such a decision Damian, but your words will only hold any weight if you can prevent yourself from being another former World Champion I’ve managed to defeat fair and square in the middle of that ring on nothing more than my skills and my ingenuity. I’m not like anything you’ve ever faced before… the demons I deal with every day are a whole different breed than anything you might claim to be, and to go from simply observing to having to actually earn your keep is a whole different ballgame no matter who stands across the ring from you. Last week gave me all the reason in the world to look forward to this match, and no amount of games or hopes that I’ll be afraid of you are going to stop me from giving the fans a preview of not only what Peyton’s going to prove against you come Sunday, but also what Abigail may expect from me when she actually has to stand toe-to-toe as opposed to the same old Infamous hit-and-run tactics.
Or maybe I could be painting a picture that’s too deep for either one of you to fully understand what awaits you.
The only thing you know for sure you’re getting from me is one hell of a fight Damian, and I hope you’re ready to understand exactly why your brand of chaos holds no power anymore in SCW’s continued evolution.