OOC: Posting this up before I head into work for the rest of the day. Like how my Breakdown CD turned out, my CDs for this match kind of ended up more slowly building to where I want things to go next. This was partly intentional and partly me struggling to figure out
exactly where I wanted to go with this one. This was a case where I knew what I was doing with the promo and ran with it (and ended up going a bit longer with it than I intended to, but I still like how it came out) but wasn't 100% sure with the CDs and pieced it together as best as I could with the time I had. I'm still happy with it though, and that's the most important thing. Best of luck to everyone involved in this match!
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There’s no place like home…
Aaron certainly couldn’t argue with that sentiment, especially after how things have gone for him over the course of the past month.
While being able to spend some time staying back at the home he grew up in back in Lowell was certainly nice, especially now that everything finally seemed to be patched up with his family in the wake of Andrew’s unfortunate passing, Aaron had grown to call Seattle his home now and couldn’t help but admit that being able to return to his apartment and spend some time there felt like a well overdue break from the grind of being on the road for so long, even if there was still work to be done. Competing in the triple threat match at Retribution on a night where everyone’s emotions were already running high given the stakes of the main event and honoring his brother’s memory in the process, heading back to his childhood hometown to attend the funeral and face his family at long last, falling short in his impressive bid at becoming Adrenaline Champion… even going into the previous Breakdown wondering which Konrad Raab he was going to end up facing amid the games he was sick of despite not even being directly involved in them had all taken their toll on him as time had gone on, and being able to return to his proverbial ‘creative headquarters’ was like finally being able to get a good night’s sleep after being forced to stay awake and combat a living nightmare for far too long.
The actual sleep he was able to get, however, wasn’t anything he felt was worth being happy about just yet.
As he’d noted to Liane before they left Lowell and made the drive to the airport for the trip down to New Orleans for Breakdown, he was still very much aware there was a war raging within his own imagination and the two sides trying to rip control away from him and one another as well had been far too quiet lately for his liking. Nemesis was at least understandable, considering his greatest source of stress to feed on lately had been Aaron’s concerns about the funeral and having to confront his family again, and with those bridges slowly being rebuilt now he could only imagine the twisted doppelganger was scrambling to try and retain any semblance of power he still had to keep fighting in the face of growing positivity and self-confidence from his host. The Twin Stars, on the other hand, were the greater concern right now in Aaron’s opinion, as they’d been oddly quiet for far too long which was fairly out of character for them. Sure, they’d contributed their efforts from afar in trying to mess with his mental excursions and especially try in vain to keep him from being able to return to the Sanctuary, but it had been some time since he’d confronted either of them or even heard one or the other trying to antagonize him through his thoughts.
Either they were starting to falter or were secretly planning something big, and either way, Aaron felt he needed to act sooner rather than later to try and subdue them once and for all.
Being able to return to the city that had taken him in after leaving his family and their now-deceased toxicity behind years ago went a long way in helping him reobtain the peace of mind he’d felt he hadn’t possessed in a long time, and the ability to just relax and lose himself in his thoughts without judgment or concern was a welcome relief that afforded him the chance to better plan out his next move. Granted, he couldn’t ignore the fact that he had a match at Tabula Rasa over at the KeyArena where he planned on giving his hometown fans the performance he knows they deserved, but he knew how he was going to approach that and would make his move in due time.
Things were finally starting to move in the right direction for him again, and he’d be damned if he lost control of it all this time.
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It felt a little weird using the Sanctuary for anything other than its main purpose, but Aaron couldn’t argue that it was the only safe haven he knew for sure he had here within the confines of his imagination.
That reason alone made it the perfect base of operations.
Here, he knew he was safe to do whatever he needed to do, as it’s already been established that he was the only one able to enter the sacred structure. This design was intentional, given that even he needed a break every now and then from the fruits of his creative labor and sometimes he just wanted the opportunity to retreat into his own head to meditate and clear his thoughts as opposed to go on any sort of adventure that might gain use in a story or drawing down the line. No matter how powerful they may seem, not even the likes of Nemesis or the Twin Stars or even Ferrugo or Zeitgeist could gain entrance to this world all its own tucked away inside the aging walls of a still beautiful cathedral. At best, they could try to barricade the way to keep him out, but it had become clear that even if preventing him from regaining access to it was the one thing both sides were willing to split the difference on, the stress-fueled abomination and the spectral reality benders had invested so much of their energy into fighting each other such a defense had weakened severely, and could perhaps prove to be fatal if their creator had anything to say about it.
And trust me… he planned on having plenty to say about the issue at hand.
Somewhat mimicking what his body was doing back in the real world while he was lost in thought, he was currently swimming in the purifying waters that surrounded the Sanctuary’s main platform like a neverending river, the sereen feeling washing over him and allowing him to feel like everything that had plagued him over the course of the past number of months was simply disappearing. Given that he’d been prevented from coming here for quite some time, this was a much-needed dip as lingering negativity he didn’t realize still existed from all the way back during his ordeals with Scarlet Grey and the frustrations of the seeming lack of progress throughout most of 2018 and even some of 2019 so far was being lifted from his very being. For once, his mind felt absolutely, one hundred percent clear, which was vital as his eyes gazed over the hologram he’d imagined into existence sitting atop the water right in front of him.
The image was a true stroke of creative brilliance in its own right, detailing a vast landscape that came together to form a map of the entire imaginary world he had spent most of his life slowly building up. He made sure several key locations had a glow around them, such as Zeitgeist’s clock tower and Ferrugo’s Carnival of Rust, as they were points of interest he made note of due to the vital role they would play as everything came together. Several other areas like the ice cave where Kaldr resided were also glowing, but theirs were fainter as Aaron had his doubts about what he wanted to do. To be fair, even he was having his doubts about what he was considering, as there was no guarantee he’d be able to convince them of what he would ask like he could with the opportunity to present themselves through him to a world they otherwise had little access to.
“I would think they would cooperate, but there are plenty of conflicts of interest. I know Kaldr’s already flat out refused to get involved even if I use the same tactic that worked to gain his use for SCW, but the rest… even if they don’t agree with me or each other, we’re all bound by the common thread of wanting this to end so there’s no more crossfire to be caught in.”
That was the sliver of hope that was connecting his plan of attack right now as he tried to plot the end of this war and the defeat of both warring parties. Perhaps an army of his own might not sound like the greatest or most original of ideas, but it made the most sense given the situation. There was little doubt that Dreambender and Gleeful had exhausted most of their resources if their efforts to keep him away from here were subpar compared to their usual games, and if their recent silence was the result of planning something big he was willing to bet they were pouring everything into one last-ditch effort to secure the victory. As for Nemesis, the more he was being deprived of the source of his strength, the less effective he would be at running an army or being a threat to anyone and given the positive direction things seemed to be moving in for Aaron again despite his persistent efforts, the monstrosity had to be desperately clinging to whatever he had left to avoid giving away that he might have very well lost this war.
“They have to be on their last legs, especially since I know I rattled Nemesis not that long ago before Andrew’s death gave him another lifeline to cling to. If I enter the fray now with a resistance of sorts, surely they’d be overwhelmed… right?”
He truly didn’t want to doubt what sounded like the best way to ensure this would all be over and those threatening his very sanity were dealt with once and for all, but all of this hinged on the cooperation of so many beings against the desperation of the opposition. It wasn’t like SCW where he knew he had the trust and support of his team for Tabula Rasa and could easily return the favor when going up against a barely cohesive force that was likely to implode from clashing egos rather than pose the kind of threat they seemed like they should on paper. Here, he would be the one trying to juggle the potential ego clashing despite a common goal against two weakened but still unified fronts, but he knew he’d need to crack the code on how to pull this off no matter what. If he tried to go it alone he would need one-on-one scenarios, something almost impossible to get with the twins unless they were at odds over something as was kind of the case leading up to Rise to Greatness last year and a situation he knew he would never get against Nemesis unless he was feeling supremely confident in dealing with his host in such a manner.
Building an army of his own and overpowering them to get those opportunities seemed like the only answer.
“I wish there was another way… Ferrugo would probably agree just because I know he’s sick and tired of all of them, and he would at least bring his entire carnie family into the fray with him. Zeitgeist normally stays out of messes like these because of his job, but he might make an exception this time based on our mutual respect and his own annoyance at this whole situation. I’d still need more though…”
Aaron slammed his arm across the water, causing some of it to splash through the hologram. A frustrated sigh made it clear he was wishing there was anything better he could do, but this had escalated well past simply thinking up something that would just end everything on command. His mind was divided just enough that it gave his adversaries enough power to counter him if necessary, so he needed to open a few holes to exploit… easier said than done when he realized his map had no clear location for either the fortress he knew Nemesis had allowed him direct access to only once or whatever the Twin Stars were using as a base of operations. Obtaining those locations would be vital if this was going to have any chance of success, assuming he even succeeding in the first stage of this plan.
As Aaron began to swim over to the platform to pull himself out of the water, the Sanctuary seemed to react to his declining mood as his attention was captured by a sphere of light than began to emanate from the central fountain of this area that was the source of all the water in the first place. Slowly the orb began to reveal images to the artist… images he had been unaware of up to this point, and ones that made his stomach churn. He found himself bearing witness to the collateral damage that had been caused by how long this nightmare had raged on, from the repeated deaths of warriors on both sides that were shrugged off because they were expendable and easily replaced to the more heinous acts of some of Aaron’s other creations being repeated harrassed or ‘persuaded’ to try and pick a side to fight for no matter how much they wanted no part in this and some of his more passive and innocent designs being wiped out simply because they ended up in the crossfire without meaning to. He could almost feel his blood literally beginning to boil as he witnessed more and more, making things like the games of people like Giovanni Aries or Syren or Sienna Swann seem tame in comparison.
As certain images flashed past, the holomap that was still sitting off to the side began to light up more and more with points Aaron would make sure to visit. Knowing what he truly wanted, the Sanctuary was providing him with the army he needed, though he knew it would still be up to him to actually convince all of them to go through with it. He didn’t want to risk anything and he certainly didn’t want to seem like he was trying to force anything, but desperate times were calling for desperate measures and he knew he needed to do something while he still had control. The likelihood of being able to unite his forces under the banner of wanting to just end this living hell, however, was holding more and more weight the more he saw, and he was beginning to reach his breaking point when it came to the two creations that had become the biggest thorns in his side for far too long.
“Thank you Sanctuary… I swear, the next time I come back here, it will be to truly relax when all is set and done… and it IS going to end. Mark my words…”
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As odd as it might sound to some people, being able to take a shower in his own home and lose himself to his thoughts in the process felt liberating to the creative soul, especially now that he felt like he had a better idea of what he was going to do. Regardless of whatever shape Nemesis was in or anything Dreambender and Gleeful had planned, the fact remained that their war had not sat well with many of the other denizens of Aaron’s mindscape, and he was very much aware of this. While some, like Kaldr, would likely prefer to stay out of it altgoether even still, others like Ferrugo and Zeitgeist would likely want to involve themselves if only to put an end to the mess once and for all. It would take a bit of time to effectively amass his own army, but considering he had a proverbial map laid out of the world that existed within his head both memorized and even several copies drawn up just in case, being able to get to where he needed to go to discuss matters with each of them wasn’t as difficult a task as it might seem.
He’d snapped out of his thoughts and made sure he was cleaned up before he spent too long under the man-made rain of the showerhead, knowing that he certainly wasn’t going to make any progress on anything if he accidentally turned himself into a human prune. He dried himself off and left the bathroom while toweling off his hair, slowly switching gears to contemplating what he would wear and anything he’d like to bring with him for when he planned to address his match that evening. He was going to make absolutely sure the opposing team knew they were walking onto his turf, and while the fans certainly wouldn’t let them forget it he wasn’t about to let those people down again like what happened when he’d battled Bill Barnhart last year when SCW rode into this city. Feeling he owed it to his fellow Seattleites to make up for that and not wanting to feel like he was hogging the spotlight from his teammates like he knew the other team would no doubt argue with each other over, he’d already made the decision to forego his usual creative pay-per-view endeavors this time around.
These guys already know and respect what I bring to the table on that front, as they have for years now. Besides, I think my little mental menagerie deserves a break ahead of what I’m going to ask of them.
Aaron smiled a bit at this thought, knowing the various creations residing within his mind certainly deserved a small vacation of their own after everything they did for him, even if the seemingly neverending war wasn’t giving them much room for the opportunity these days. Aaron would change that soon enough, though. Before he could move into his room to change into some clothes, however, he froze when he heard a wolf whistle directed towards him. A crimson blush consumed his cheeks as he slowly turned towards the source, and while he relaxed when he realized it was only Liane from her seat at the kitchen counter, he still felt embarrassed as this kind of situation was still something they were working on getting used to. It didn’t stop her from grinning as her eyes took in the sight… at least until he moved to wrap the towel around himself, which shifted her expression into a pretend pout.
“Aw… you’re no fun.”
“We’ll get to enjoy being back here for a while once Tabula Rasa’s wrapped up, so we’ll have more than enough time for any of that kind of ‘fun’ dear.”
He punctuated this with a wink that she couldn’t resist giggling like a schoolgirl over. Considering he still had some time before he planned to go out and wanting to indulge her a bit more now, he decided to stick with just the towel as he moved into the small kitchen area to get himself some orange juice to drink while she watched, having to break herself out of a trance almost when he addressed her again.
“Speaking of us sticking around for a while, how’d things go with that club owner?”
“Oh, he’s thrilled that I’ll be able to do some more shows for him while we’re in the area. He’s also been trying to get in contact with some other places across the country to spread the word so I can keep building my career while you’re out taking names in the ring. Judging by the fact I’ve got some mail here with my name on it, I guess he’s got some of them interested.”
She waves a small stack of letters in her hand like a fan to her fiancé’s amusement before revealing they are, in fact, addressed to her with the return addresses being from several comedy clubs in several other states, some of which he realized would be upcoming stops for SCW. As she set about opening them to sort out the details of their contents, Aaron turned his attention to the remainder of the mail she’d brought in upon her return, immediately opening up a package and smiling as he rooted through some of the new art supplies he’d ordered while they were still in Lowell, knowing the package would be waiting here when he returned. He couldn’t help but admit to the perfect timing as it helped him to finalize his plan of attack regarding the pay-per-view as he could put some of these tools to the test immediately. The rest of the mail addressed to him was either the typical junk mail or bills he’d deal with once Sunday night had passed and wrestling wasn’t at the forefront of his thoughts, though one letter among the crowd stood out to him. He looked it over with curiosity, noting his name and address were in handwriting so poor it was a miracle the postman actually delivered it to the right mailbox, and it was also lacking a return address. He very cautiously tore it open and slowly pulled out a letter stylized with cutout letters reminiscent of a ransom note.
“‘Seattle is no safer than Lowell, just you wait and see’?”
Liane’s attention was diverted from her mail to take note of the confusion evident on Aaron’s face even as he showed her the ‘contents’ for her to take in as well. Immediately his mind went into overdrive as he contemplated the fact that someone apparently knew of the fact he used to live over on the East Coast and was on his way back to the West Coast, and while such information was mostly public knowledge in regards to the SCW roster he knew none of them would risk their jobs with a stunt like this that could be perceived as a legitimate threat. Whoever sent this seemed to know a little more than they maybe should have and were comfortable enough to volley a vague threat towards him, and giving the timing of it all… he resolved to make a call back home in a little bit to see if his family had come across anything similar or might be able to shed some light on the matter, because if this meant what Aaron thought it did, then a certain someone who already found himself as perhaps the only name on Aaron’s permanent list of enemies clearly wasn’t satisfied with the damage he’d already done and was trying to potentially overextend his boundaries in hopes of some kind of infamy considering one of Aaron’s current profession.
For now, though, he tried to put it out of mind as he set the letter aside and went about preparing to do something he rarely did, but in retrospect probably should do a little more often to keep shaking things up in regards to SCW.
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Our scene fades in on the always-entrancing sight of the skyline of Seattle, Washington… slowly being formed by a pencil into the pages of a large sketchbook. No doubt this wasn’t what you were expecting to see, but you have to admit that whoever is drawing this is very talented as it looks like a picture perfect graphite recreation of one of the most awe-inspiring views anyone could ever get in one of America’s largest cities. Our shot slowly begins to pan back, leaving the drawing behind to slowly take in the sight of the real deal against the setting sun. It’s the kind of view that just about every tourist who comes through here just has to see before they leave, and to every Seattleite, this is the picturesque way that every day comes to an end that serves as just one reminder of why they are proud to call this place home.
It doesn’t take long to realize we’re basically looking over the shoulder of the figure that’s been making art out of this incredible view, and it’s not long before he seems to finish up and slowly rises to a stand so he can turn and reveal himself to the camera. The grin of the figure clad in blue jeans and a navy blue t-shirt bearing an identical skyline sketch upon it doesn’t even begin to convey the full story of how happy he is to be back here, but Aaron Blackbourne is a man who always knows how to find the intricate beauty and value in just about anything presented to him. True, he may not be walking into the event ready to defend a title, but knowing he’ll soon compete in front of the people that have come to accept him as one of their own for the first time in a considerable while is all he could ever ask for out of this Sunday’s affairs.
“I know, standing here in front of a camera and speaking my mind isn’t something I normally do. Maybe that seems odd to you considering everything that I stand for, but I find it helps me to focus more if I take the time to just say something without having to worry about the presentation for a change. Besides, in the case of shows where you might get to see something extra special, why ruin the surprise? It’s always more fun, in my opinion, to help build suspense as to what could be waiting just behind that curtain, ready to share its own message with the masses while promoting the truth that a creative mind isn’t something to be feared but to be embraced as the guiding light towards a future we can all truly enjoy because we got to make it together.
I just couldn’t resist this time though… not when SCW has finally brought me home.
Those of you who know me very well know that I’m not from this neck of the woods originally. In fact, I virtually grew up along the complete opposite coast of this country, but as I grew older I ended up taking several trips out this way for conventions and came to love everything this city had to offer, and when the time came for me to finally pull the trigger on taking control of my life and forging ahead with it on my own terms, I knew exactly where I had to go. It wasn’t the easiest move I’ve ever made, but it’s one I never regret, especially after how well this city has grown to accept me as one of its own as time’s gone on. People know this city for many different things, from its sports ventures to being one of the fastest growing cities in the country to being the birthplace of Amazon, but to me, it will always be a safe haven where I have become free to be exactly who I want to be without ever having to compromise. Seattle has been more than happy to endorse my creative vision and my work has found itself in several art galleries as well as being a staple of the annual Seattle Art Fair, and I don’t think I could ever repay this place for constantly inspiring me and supporting whatever endeavor I pursue both for my own happiness and to spread my message.
That… makes me extremely disappointed that I couldn’t give them the performance they deserved the last time I was here.”
Aaron’s grin slowly fades away as he thinks back to the last time SCW came through the port city on the edge of Puget Sound. He turns his head back towards the skyline serving as the backdrop almost as though he’s apologizing to everyone out that way and down on the streets below the building he’s perched himself on, knowing full well he could have given them so much more but didn’t get the chance because a name that has long since lost its meaning to SCW fans decided to take it all away from him in an act of pettiness just to save face from his impending defeat.
“I didn’t make a big deal out of the last time I got to compete here because to me, it was a given by that point how much everyone here is familiar with who I am and what I can do on any canvas where art can be born, including the one that helps make up a wrestling ring. It was a simple matter of competing in front of a crowd that already respected what I had to offer, but while I did walk away with the victory on that night I sure as hell didn’t look like a winner in the end. My first match as an SCW talent in my hometown and a guy you may or may not remember by the name of Bill Barnhart took it upon himself to avoid falling victim to my final blow by going below the belt and then assaulting me afterward to try and create this perception that he actually won and I simply wasn’t on his level. Kind of hard to agree with him when he’s long since headed for the hills realizing he just can’t keep up here while I’ve continued to scratch and claw my way through the ranks to earn my keep around here.
Still, that wasn’t the kind of performance these people deserved, especially from one of their own. That’s why, at Tabula Rasa, I’m going to make it up to them.
Tabula Rasa can often be translated to ‘clean slate’ from its Latin origins, and it feels fitting that many are looking at this event as a chance to wipe their personal slates clean and start over with how they want to go about their business here. For me, the only clean slate I want is the chance to be able to go above and beyond to give these fans that believe in me and allow me to call myself one of their own their money’s worth and then some… to make up for not being able to do so the last time this company rolled through the Emerald City. Unlike some people if they were in this position, however, I’m not going to pursue this endeavor at the expense of those around me, because this Sunday is going to be a team effort as I stand with three individuals I respect to combat a team primarily composed of those who need a reality check as to why they may not be the proverbial ‘gods and goddesses’ they perceive themselves to be.
For this reason, you won’t be seeing the paint come match time. I’m not going to hog the spotlight and put my mission before my team’s efforts to walk away victorious, and the people of this city already know and respect my creative vision after seeing it for themselves for years before I ever set foot in SCW for the very first time.”
Aaron turns back to the camera as his smile begins to return, memories of his last time competing here giving way to more positive ones of the various creatures he’s shared from the confines of his imagination long before that to the amazement and delight of the Seattle faithful. He didn’t need to share his message with a city that had already long since embraced it, leaving him all the room in the world to do his part to help his team prevail come pay-per-view time. He slowly turns his sketchbook around to show the drawing of the city skyline once more, but it doesn’t last long as he flips back to a previous page, revealing sketched portraits of each of his teammates for Sunday’s impending clash.
“Being honest? I couldn’t have asked for a better team to stand beside in this battle. Peyton Rice is someone a lot of people have wanted to put an immense amount of pressure on because of what she did in Emerge as well as being the protégé of Kelcey Wallace, but not only has she exceeded every expectation she’s proven she has the ability to rise above some of the petty games people think they can play around here for their own self-satisfaction. I consider her a kindred spirit of sorts, considering neither one of us asked for a certain crimson-haired Cloudcuckoolander to insert herself into our careers and try to burn it all to the ground just to get the one thing she wanted but never deserved and at the end of the day we made our thoughts on the matter loud and clear and don’t have to put up with her antics any longer. Goddard is a longtime veteran of the ring wars who has been keeping an eye out for Peyton since they debuted against one another for SCW, a man with his own sense of justice that isn’t intimidated by anyone and someone I wish I could have given a better fight to back during the Trios Tournament if one of my partners hadn’t become so consumed by the hope of turning everything around that she lost sight of what makes a match like this work. As for Alexis Quinne? I may not agree with everything she’s done throughout her career, but she’s a former World Champion for a reason and I can’t help but respect the way she carved her own path through this business and made her mark when no one gave her a chance or thought she could ever get that far. The fact that she was the original brainchild behind the World Hazard Festival and what it’s done to the wrestling and art scene of San Francisco is further proof of the legacy she will leave behind in this industry as a whole and how much it all means to her.”
With that, Aaron proceeds to flip the page of his sketchbook once more, replacing the portraits of his teammates with those who will stand against him at Tabula Rasa. While he still did a phenomenal job of capturing their likenesses as he’s never one to half-ass anything artistically even to do something as petty as taking an extra cheap shot at his opposition, he can still hear their voices ringing out in his head protesting the fact that he even dared to draw them in the first place and complaining that it’s not ‘perfect’ enough, considering the amount of ego running rampant through that team and how most of them no doubt see themselves despite a mirror’s reflection giving concrete evidence of an entirely different image.
“The one thing our team has that our opponents lack is unity, which isn’t a surprise when you consider that the vast majority of them only care about how they look and what they do and the idea of having to share that stage with one other person, let alone three, is no doubt driving most of them mad. After all, I’m pretty sure this isn’t what any of them were hoping to do on a pay-per-view stage, let alone the first one since Sasha regained control, and they’re probably finding it difficult to figure out a way to prove their point when they have to share the spotlight and may not even be involved as often as they would like. Sure, the obvious answer is to set aside the ego for the good of the team, but how many of them can you honestly say that about and actually expect it to happen come match time?
Since I happened to mention the hot button topic of standing in the spotlight… Tommy, Katie, it’s good to see both of you again. I’m sure you don’t share those same sentiments considering I managed to prevail at Retribution in our triple threat match, but Tabula Rasa is a new night and another chance for you to teach me a lesson about trying to usurp those who came before me… even though I made it clear the last time we crossed paths that I respect both of you for what you can do in the ring and your status as former World Champions, but I just can’t play along with this game of weaving tales that only serve your side of the story because my opinion and everyone else’s are simply irrelevant to you. Maybe you’ll prove me wrong and work together flawlessly in an effort to succeed where you fell short a month ago, considering you had no problem double-teaming me to try and remove me from the picture altogether in our last battle because you felt my tribute to my fallen brother was stealing all the thunder away from the two of you fighting over the exact same thing you accused me of trying to take from you, to begin with. Then again, with Katie openly flaunting her belief that she’s the captain of her entire team, a sentiment they’ve already disagreed with, and Tommy still seeming to have a bit of an obsession with taking me down because he believes I’m getting in his way when I’m just trying to earn my own place around here, maybe it’s not so hard to believe that partnership will once again implode the first chance you get to have the glory all for yourself.
Perhaps the only person on the opposing team I can completely respect for the most part is Alistaire Allocco, a man I’ve crossed paths with before and one I will openly admit I owe a rematch to whenever he wants it. I know this probably isn’t how you wanted to meet me in the ring again Alistaire, especially considering my victory over you from months ago was tainted by the influence of a woman I’m glad to be completely done putting up with once and for all and I hate the fact it exists on my record with that asterisk, but I guess we just have to make the most of what we’ve got this time around, huh? Trust me when I say that even if this wasn’t how I imagined it, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you in the ring again and seeing how things play out this time, even though I know this probably isn’t what you were hoping for at this show. I also sympathize with the fact that your father, despite his status as an SCW legend, has felt the need to try and take the helm of your career all because he thinks for whatever reason he should be running the show right now… believe me, as someone who spent years putting up with that kind of behavior from my own parents, I know exactly how you feel right now seeing all the work you’re trying to do being uprooted by him trying to make passes at Peyton ‘on your behalf’ and openly interrupting shows trying to convince anyone who will listen that you need to just be handed a World Title shot right now as opposed to earning it like I know you want. All of that said though… you know I can't just let your side win that easily, especially not along the coast I’ve come to call home. After Tabula Rasa though… name a time and a place and I don’t think Sasha will have any problem giving it to us so we have the proper one-on-one encounter we were unfortunately robbed of some time ago.
And then, of course, there’s Jordan Majors. I’m sure she’s probably grinning from ear to ear right now at the fact I’m addressing her last, but don’t get too comfortable with whatever you’re thinking. This isn’t because I see you as the ‘biggest threat’ or anything like that, it’s purely because of the fact that out of everyone that’ll be standing across the ring from me on Sunday night, you’re the one I’ve dealt with the least. I know our paths might’ve crossed once or twice back during the Open Invitational at the End of the Year Special, but that’s nothing compared to the full matches I’ve had against Katie, Tommy, and Alistaire. Of course, you’ve taken the opportunity to reinvent yourself since then, somehow becoming even more full of yourself in the process if you think for whatever reason you’re the best your team has to offer compared to three former World Champions surrounding you. I guess it’s true what they say about money changing a person, huh? You’re bragging about the people you’re associated with thinking it’s a substitute for anything you could prove in the ring while ignoring the fact that someone like you is basically turning into a willing pawn for people like Sienna and Bree to call upon if they need their dirty work done. Argue it all you want, but you’re walking the same path I've seen so many others starving for attention in this business take and I can promise you it’s not going to end well once you outlive your usefulness to them. Money can only take you so far, after all, and it can’t buy you the effort needed to fight your way to being the star you want to be.”
Aaron slowly closes his sketchbook and shakes his head, knowing what lies ahead of him. But he’s never been one to back down from a challenge and he’s certainly not going to stand for this arrogant invasion of the city he loves, and that’s where his grin from before fades once again and gives way to the focused look that makes it clear he’s ready to go right now if it was a possibility.
“One thing the four of you have in common is your belief that you inherently own anything around here by virtue of being who you are. Your spotlight, your ring, your brand of wrestling… these are all subjective claims that exist only to fuel the worlds you live in. Remove the rose-colored glasses for a change, however, and you realize one actual fact that tomorrow night you’ll be walking into my hometown, into my arena that I spent years building myself up in long before SCW was even an option on the table for me, and unlike you all I’m more than willing to share that stage with three warriors who all more than deserve it. Those fans may make it known how much they care for the fact that their favorite creative soul has come home once again, but it would be a hollow feeling if I don’t send them home happy. Alexis, John, and Peyton all know and respect the same values that I dedicate myself to in order to make my name here on my own terms, and for that reason alone we’re going to be giving you guys a one-way ferry ride right on out of here while you ponder how easily it all fell apart no matter how obvious the answer may seem.
Seattle has welcomed me into their family… Sunday night, I welcome my partners into that same family as we work together to stand tall our way because no matter how badly you think you deserve it we’re all more than willing to bust our behinds to embody another well-known Latin phrase: carpe diem.”
With the sun having set now and twilight beginning to consume the area, Aaron can’t help but turn back to the city lights beginning to illuminate the skyline and create an entirely new picture for us to enjoy. With a deep breath, he allows this image to put him back into a state of zen as our scene slowly fades out, leaving the lingering image of his silhouette against the famous sight as a sign of what this city has become to him and how much he’s willing to fight to give back to it no matter the task at hand.
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