05-17-2019, 06:07 PM
05-19-2019, 10:50 PM
05-21-2019, 11:14 PM
OOC: I was concerned that I might've been cutting things way too close and risking not getting something up in time, considering I've had a pretty cruddy day that's slowly gone more and more downhill as it went on. Times like this are what remind me of how much writing is the perfect therapy for these kinds of situations though, because getting to carry Aaron's story a little farther in the direction I'm heading in helped me forget all about the struggle to even get to writing it to begin with. I'm also surprised and pleased with the promo I did, even if it seems pretty unorthodox for a wrestling situation. Consider it my attempt to think outside the box and keep Aaron true to who he is while responding to Alistaire's words. Best of luck!
On an unrelated note... while I don't want to spend the time trying to change it now since I'm pretty exhausted and want to try and get some decent sleep tonight, in the future I'm probably going to consider changing Dreambender's color code because, at least on my computer screen, it's admittedly hard on the eyes with this forum skin, and it's been a while since I've had this character speaking in any way to really notice this until now. At least for this piece, I apologize for that.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Don’t be afraid to stand up and fight for what’s important to you…
It’s a value that Aaron’s prided himself on for years, and the way he would always prefer to fall on his proverbial sword if it ever came to that.
Given our knowledge of how well Aaron deals with stress, one might think that in the face of his ever-increasing concerns outside the ring that he would continue to virtually play it safe week after week. After all, most would say there’s nothing wrong with keeping your head down and focusing on your own career first and foremost, and the wrestling artist seemed to have a fairly good balance going as competing and building momentum stabilized the chaos that continued to consume his life and his thoughts, perhaps more so after getting the chance two weeks ago to finally meet Liane’s numerous siblings and agreeing to add the task of putting their family problems to rest to his own growing list no matter how ill-advised it probably was. As far as he was concerned, what he’d gained from that meeting left no excuse as to why a family that possessed eleven hard-working young people dedicated to their respective crafts also possessed parents feeling so little hope for their own dreams that they felt the solution was to try and make bank on their children succeeding where they were afraid to even so much as try.
There’s a reason so many out there claim that age is only just a number.
Adding that to his growing concerns that his brother’s passing might not be the end of certain issues for him and his own family if he was a betting man, not to mention how much the playing field had shifted regarding how he’d hoped to finally regain control of his imagination once and for all, you wouldn’t be blamed for questioning Aaron’s actions the past few weeks. No longer was he simply staying quiet and going about his own business because two Breakdowns in a row now have seen him march down to the ring to get involved in matters pertaining to his best friend Owen Cruze. Two weeks ago he did what any true friend would’ve done when he blitzed the ring to keep Owen from becoming a piledriver victim all because Chris Cannon didn’t happen to like some of the things Owen said to him. Last week was a little trickier as he came out to stand up for the fact that Owen was being verbally run down because he had his reasons for not being present, and while he was standing tall at the end of the scuffle that followed he admittedly had a bitter taste in his mouth about how it all went down.
The task presented to him for this Breakdown was not going to be an easy one… to be fair, though, the same could be said about every fire he seemed to have an iron in right now.
Today was one of those days where it was all weighing heavily on Aaron’s mind, as no matter how much he tried to relax and just think things through he could only feel the headache growing more intense as a result. He’d honestly lost track of how much time he’d even spent on this task today alone… all he knew was that his best bet to get some breathing room right now would be to resolve something. Unfortunately, trying to even figure out what he wanted to prioritize first was becoming a task in and of itself, as he had probable cause to order this any way he saw fit knowing he might not gain any traction at all regardless of the order he chose to tackle them in.
“Maybe I finally let my ambitions guide me to biting off far more than I can chew…”
Aaron slumped back in his chair with a sigh as he pondered this possibility, as the more he tried to even leave the starting block on any of these issues the more he found himself going nowhere fast. One might believe the easiest solution was to focus on the mess that had spawned regarding Alistaire and his father as this one actually had a time limit on it with Breakdown barely days away at this point, but something within the creative soul seemed to latch onto the belief that finishing one of the other puzzles was the better move so he could truly give Alistaire his absolute best with no regrets or excuses, like he knew the man would want. That was far easier said than done, however… his latest challenge was still brand new for him to believe he could resolve it quickly without something being unaccounted for in the end, plus it required needing time to visit Michigan again to make the attempt to confront the Forte parents. The lingering threat of someone seemingly stalking him when he was back home after his brother’s funeral was a scenario built on assumptions and beliefs, leaving no stable ground to pursue any course of action without immense risk for the time being.
That left the possibility of the melee brewing within his mind, which almost needed a new puzzle entirely after his encounter with Gleeful a few weeks ago.
“Damn it! When did all of this become some insurmountable wall I can’t find the solution to? If anybody can find an answer to all of this, I can… right?”
In his frustration, he’d ended up flipping a small table he didn’t even remember sitting right in front of him, but right now his surroundings seemed to pale in comparison to the realization that doubt was beginning to creep in. To someone like Aaron, doubt was the ultimate enemy, leading you astray as you found yourself questioning everything you did no matter how strong the evidence was that something was finished or under control or could be resolved. Doubt was something he’d struggled with a lot when he was younger, questioning if he would ever be good enough to stand up and walk away from the burdens that threatened to crush him before he realized the only thing he really needed to do was just start walking down whatever path he felt was right. It wasn’t often he found himself in this state anymore now that he’d grown both as an artist both recognized and respected and as an in-ring competitor earning his place in one of the biggest organizations on the planet.
“Soda for your thoughts?”
Aaron didn’t even realize his hands were over his face until he pulled them away at the familiar voice, watching as Liane carefully put the table back into its proper place before opening up a blank soda can and setting it down in front of him before taking a seat right across from where he was. It was at this moment that he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow as something felt a bit… off to him. He knows the day had felt like a blur up to this point with how much he’d become fixated on trying to figure anything out, but there’s no way so much time had passed that he and Liane would find themselves someplace that just didn’t seem familiar. The room certainly felt homely enough, but the fact that it wasn’t his apartment and had no reason to be as Breakdown was nowhere near Seattle, nor was it the hotel room he knew they were staying in while in Ottawa for the show, should have caused every alarm possible to be going off. Even the fact that he was being given some unmarked can of pop should have been a red flag considering no company out there would refuse to plaster their branding all over their product in this day and age. And yet, his mind seemed to ignore all of this as he still took a drink of the beverage and focused only on his fiancée.
“I don’t even know where to begin with my thoughts Liane. I know I’ve told you before I’ve got no problem doing things the hard way as long as I still reach the final destination, but this is something I’ve never felt before. I just can’t seem to try and figure out one problem without needing to divert attention to the others, like I’m somehow supposed to resolve them all at once. Hell, I almost feel like this would’ve been the case if I hadn’t picked up some extra luggage along the way.”
“I know you’ve got a lot on your plate Aaron, but there’s always a way to sort through it all. You’re just having a hard time seeing it right now because you’re letting yourself get so stressed out over feeling like you’re losing control.”
Aaron paused just before taking another drink as Liane said this. It was a sound breakthrough, don’t get him wrong, but he also couldn’t help but realize there was something amiss about it. Liane was a woman whose intellect was gravely underestimated, especially when it came to emotions, but not even she would’ve worded a potential solution to his problems in that fashion. Curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to test the waters a bit.
“So what would you recommend then, honey?”
“Well… for starters, you don’t have to do this alone. You’ve always got your clown princess by your side to lend an ear, you’ve got your family once again, you’ve got Owen if you’re willing to help him in exchange which I know you always are. There are also some beings sitting in your head that would probably be more than happy to lend a hand too, right?”
“Fair point. But how do I know for sure that some of the latter are as willing to help me as they claim?”
“Maybe the better question is… what does anybody really have to lose at this point?”
Almost in an instant, Aaron felt himself being blinded by an overwhelmingly bright flash of white light. A few moments were necessary in order to shake this off, but once he could finally see again his suspicions were confirmed. It was no wonder why he felt like he’d completely lost track of everything that wasn’t his thoughts because he was in a place where time basically meant absolutely nothing for the most part. Some of the furniture, like the chairs being occupied and the table where his abandoned pop once again sat along with a few other miscellaneous objects, were floating in an endless void that could easily pass for outer space if it also happened to be lacking oxygen. It was a realm he’d never visited before, but one he knew for sure had to exist somewhere in his seemingly endless mindscape. The being sitting across from him was no longer the image of his beloved, but instead the other spectral entity he hadn’t been face-to-face with in what felt like an eternity.
“Why am I not surprised? Long time no see, Dreambender.”
“Likewise, and welcome to my little home-away-from-Gleeful. You’ll have to excuse the mess… I haven’t had the chance to tidy up considering, much like you, I’ve been really tied up these days.”
Dreambender motioned towards the pop as if he was offering Aaron the chance to resume its consumption, but given who he was staring down now he was hesitant to take his chances any more than he already had. One thing he did notice, which Dreambender seemed indifferent to hiding, was the various glowing white cuts trailing along his arm that almost resembled battle scars if he were made of flesh and bone like his creator was. He did recall Gleeful mentioning before that her brother had been the one taking greater control over their efforts to spearhead their faction’s efforts in this war they kind of helped start in the first place, but it wasn’t until now that he really began to see the toll it was taking on someone aside from himself and those caught in the crossfire.
“Alright, what’s your game this time?”
“No games Aaron, not today. At least, not anymore. Sorry I kind of masqueraded as Liane for a bit there, but I was trying to make this as unhostile as possible so you wouldn’t be jumping down my throat when we got to this point. Unhostile… is that even a word? Maybe I’ve been indulging in too much of my sister’s less-thought-out suggestions lately to get the job done after all.”
Aaron made an effort to cut himself off after hearing this before he went trying to pick a verbal fight prematurely. While he knew full well Dreambender could have been trying to toy with him, he couldn’t help but think back to his unexpected confrontation with Gleeful and how she handled the situation in a fashion more befitting of her brother. If he was doing the same just with the roles reversed… considering he recalled in his extensive character notes all the way back when the Twin Stars were slowly being brought to life that this was certainly possible but would be very rare and usually the result of something huge that warranted it.
“I take it you’ve been thinking pretty hard about what she said to you, huh?”
“Kind of hard to ignore when she actually makes a really good point for a change. Still, you’ll have to forgive me if my whole body isn’t back on the bandwagon just yet.”
“And I don’t blame you for taking the cautious approach. My sis was right about us really just wanting your attention when you started opening your mind more to the world and staying in character with how we did just that, even if I’ll admit it wasn’t the best approach in retrospect. Maybe if we didn’t have another creature trying to stir more chaos into the mix things wouldn’t have turned out as serious as they did, regarding us at the very least.”
The more logical of the galactic siblings motioned again to the pop can, and this time it began floating in response over to where Aaron sat.
“You should drink that, by the way. You’re right to assume it’s not actually pop, but it’s something that’ll help calm you down. You have my word on it, and if I’m lying may my power allow you to awaken from your current slumber.”
Aaron still wasn’t fully convinced on that, but his mind couldn’t resist returning to a very old question of his regarding how much influence Dreambender actually had over his dreams. That was designed to be his primary power, after all, but given that he was ultimately just another imaginary being renting some real estate in the artist’s imagination… Aaron decided to at least see where this was going for the time being as his ‘host’ didn’t seem willing to continue until he took him up on the offer, and even he had to admit that once he began consuming the drink once again his mind was beginning to relax at long last, his body no longer feeling like it wasn’t to just fall to pieces under the weight of his mental burdens.
“That… actually helps.”
“Consider it a peace offering to prove my intentions are genuine, as are my sister’s. As much as we’d love to keep antagonizing you just because we WERE built to be villains, after all, even we can’t ignore the fact that we’re struggling as much as you are because of a certain corrupted mirror image of you that’s crossing lines even we weren’t honestly willing to cross.”
“Nemesis… I know who you mean, but please elaborate on this line he’s trying to cross.”
As if he were expecting this, the spectral child pointed upward, and as Aaron craned his neck to follow he saw what could easily resemble a ceiling designed to play his recent escapades within SCW from the past two weeks, which immediately brought back to mind one of the problems at hand.
“We all know Nemesis is fueled by your stress and any negative emotions you end up feeling. What you probably didn’t know is that he clearly wasn’t getting what he wanted as far as that’s concerned out of this paranoia caused by whatever’s going on every now and then with this person trying to get your attention back home, or even your frustrations over the problems we’ve admittedly contributed to going on in here right alongside him as we’ve been trying to stand against him, for better or worse. He’s getting greedy… he misses the power he had when you were putting up with that Scarlet girl’s nonsense, so he’s trying to fabricate more problems by taking advantage of one of your more admirable qualities.”
Aaron took another drink in order to try and maintain the calm washing over him, although this didn’t keep his hand from slowly clenching into a fist and crushing the now-empty can in the process before he flung it into the void around them. Dreambender just leaned back, causing his chair to float away a bit to be on the safe side with his guest.
“I thought something was feeling more off than usual lately. The near-piledriver was one thing because Owen didn’t deserve to have his neck broken or worse, but going out to confront Adam and stand up for Owen when he wasn’t there to defend himself last week and end up creating a mess because I let that manipulative bastard get under my skin? Maybe I was focusing on the wrong puppet master…”
“You know Nemesis loves to screw with you, Aaron. Yeah, Gleeful and I do too, but we’re only being true to ourselves and trying to have fun in the process despite how wrong it can come off at times. He never does anything without an ulterior motive.”
Aaron could only sigh and lean back, willingly letting his chair do a backflip in the zero-gravity environment in hopes that it might ease some of this newfound strain.
“How the hell do I explain this to Alistaire?”
“If you ask me, he’s a pretty good example of what you gained by taking on this new challenge with your girl’s sisters and brother. His dad’s a manipulative leech trying to live out his lost glory days through his more successful son. I know you won’t say those things to him, so I’ll happily say them for you since he’ll never get to know me to argue. But you’ll figure something out… you’re one of the most creative people in the world Aaron, and I’m not just saying that to flatter you. You’ve solved problems in ways no one would dare to consider because YOU knew it was the right way.”
“…you’re right, just like every other issue I’ve overcome in my life and career. The fact that I stood strong for as long as I did in order to find my solution through so many things that would’ve driven others insane long before then… Nemesis is terrified of that. It’s the only reason why he would make such a bold move hoping to manufacture more issues to sabotage me. He knows he’s nowhere near strong enough to break me, so he needs to put me in a state of mind where I effectively beat myself.”
In Aaron’s revelation, he stood up, almost like he was somehow standing on solid ground again, and had found himself getting more and more into what he was saying that he’d turned his back on Dreambender. He found himself stopping when he turned around and realized the other half of this conversation had disappeared, as had the furniture now, and the space around him was slowly fading as well. He figured he knew what this meant, but Dreambender’s voice echoed throughout the fading void with one last piece to help him finish these puzzles.
“Gleeful and I had an epiphany Aaron, just like we’re trying to help you have one as well. Nemesis isn’t one of your creations like we are… he’s pure cancer, and the only way we’re going to beat this cancer is together. We’re not going to ask for any reward or expect one, but know that you always have friends you’d never expect in the least likely of places to rely on if you need them.”
“mmm… please Lady Appleton, no more marshmallows…”
…the amusing sleep chatter of his soon-to-be-wife as she clung to him and nibbled on part of his pajama top in response to whatever she was dreaming about.
It all brought a smile to his face that actually didn’t feel hollow for a change, unlike the past week to some degree after he’d left the Target Center back in Minneapolis. He took a moment to carefully stretch his arms and take this in while things were still peaceful and serene for him, one hand soon moving down to gently pet Liane’s long chocolate locks. This action slowly roused her from her slumber, and while she sheepishly spat out the fabric adorning her lover’s chest she couldn’t help but grin up at him all the same.
“I’m guessing you actually had a good night of sleep if you’re smiling like that again?”
“You could say that… I at least got a second opinion from an unlikely source that’s going to go a long way in finally sorting things out, starting with the Allocco situation. Also, it helps to know you were clearly enjoying your dream, though Lady Appleton might need to back off on feeding you marshmallows if I want to keep this top intact.”
She couldn’t help but giggle and playfully punch his arm before the two of them began to rise and get ready for the day ahead. In his euphoria of wanting to just push forward to what he knew he needed to do now, especially in refusal of Nemesis getting any satisfaction from preying on something that made him strong instead of being a tool for ‘stress incarnate’ to play with, he ignored the fact that at some point during the night he’d received a text message, as had the rest of his family. Perhaps soon he’d come to deal with it, but one thing at a time…
Right now, addressing a man he respected when few others cared to and mending this broken fence took priority over a message that doesn’t need to be repeated in fear of who it might end up offending coming from a number that should have no longer had the capability of being active.
I know, probably not what you were expecting to hear out of me, but it’s the truth. For all the things people praise me for week in and week out, I have just as many cracks in my self-designed armor. I mention this because, over the course of the past two weeks, you have all seen something from me that you haven’t very often, and that’s Aaron Blackbourne getting involved in certain matters. Maybe those who say I had no right to stick my nose where it didn’t belong would be right, but I am a man who has always worn his heart on his sleeve and acted accordingly to what I feel was right. One thing that will always fit that bill is the fact that I hold the bonds I’ve created in very high regard, perhaps more than any championship, as much as I know that thought will have several of you laughing.
With that knowledge, I want you to imagine how it feels when the best advice I’m offered in regards to situations where I know I should be willing to stand and fight for what I hold in high regard is to simply focus on my own career and keep grinding away at the path I’m laying out brick by brick.
Now, normally this is very sound advice, and against my own judgment, I’ve done my best to stick to this over the course of the past few months. After all, as much as I feel I owed Katya a share of karma for thinking it was alright to play games with my love life, it was believed that battling on the front lines against her was not where my focus should be. As much as I know Owen is more than capable of standing on his own two feet and fighting his own battles, trying to rebuild lost momentum was deemed a smarter option than backing him up against Sienna’s tendency to take whatever odds she can stack in her favor because it’s clear as day her greatest fear is falling from the grace that is her sole lifeline around here.
These were not entirely my decisions, but I went along with the suggestion anyway because even I know that emotions can often cause problems you don’t intend them to.
Last week was a perfect example of that, unfortunately.
Before I get to a man who I know is listening to every word I say with bated breath to hear a few very specific words, I want to make something clear. I’ve admitted to being flawed, just as I’ll admit that despite my recent successes in the ring, my mind has been all over the place to some degree as of late. I was willing to share the passing of my brother, one key reason behind these latest developments… it really put a lot into perspective for me. There was a lengthy period of time where he and I had grown very much apart because some of his life choices had made him into someone I didn’t want to associate myself with anymore, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was still my brother at the end of the day and he meant the world to me. Losing him really made me step back and think long and hard about what I have to my name… what I’ve done in the ring, the work I’ve created outside of it… would any of it mean as much without the people who helped get me to that point? Having Liane in my life, mending broken bridges with my family after all these years, the fact that I can walk away from this business someday knowing that I have at least one true friend I can always count on to do anything that transcends those ropes and the arenas they’re set up in…
If you want to consider that a serious flaw in who I am and play on it, then go right ahead. At least at the end of the day I know I’m at least being honest with myself and willing to defend what’s important to me.
Alistaire, I know last week was a very different situation compared to the threat of Owen being piledriven. We’re in agreement that your father had no right to make the comments he did, considering it was made clear Owen had a very good reason for not being able to attend Breakdown. I’ll admit that maybe I got a bit overzealous in my actions, even if I feel justified in wanting to defend a man who wasn’t there to defend himself like a good friend would without any second thought. As far as the physicality that happened… the only valid reason I can give you is instincts kicking in. Believe that if you want despite knowing as well as I do how all-consuming that drive can be when you find yourself backed into a corner, but your father’s sucker punch warranted a response when my momentary lack of sight easily made sense of the likelihood that he was moving in to continue his attack. When he decided to take advantage of the fact that you were trying to subdue me to get a few extra shots in, anyone could easily justify a two-on-one situation in the heat of the moment.
Despite all of that though… I’m sorry.
No half-assed efforts, no ploy to try and rile you up any further… I apologize for my actions last week. I’ll give your father this: the stories I’ve heard about him knowing just how to get under people’s skin to get exactly what he wanted are true, and in that moment I let my flaws dictate that the appropriate response was what led to things breaking down the way they did. You didn’t deserve any of that, and while I can only speculate on whether or not you were truly expecting me to actually apologize, I have no shame in admitting when I’ve made a mistake.
After all, I’m only human.
That said… do you know what someone as creative as I can be truly takes pride in Alistaire? It’s the knowledge that no matter how great a piece you craft, regardless of the amount of time you spend on it, there will always be flaws and somebody will take notice. There is no such thing as perfection, after all… no matter what certain individuals will claim as a substitute for the confidence they truly lack in who they really are beneath the surface. I will never stand here and try to pretend to be anything I’m not. I know what I am: a creative soul, a fighter, a true friend, and someone who will always dedicate himself to those causes no matter what. It’s because of the dedication to fighting for the bonds I’ve built in my life and the willingness to learn from past mistakes and rebuild what’s lost that I understand why you continue to stand by your father no matter what he does.
It’s for that same reason that I want you to know that you don’t have to do that alone.
Believe me Alistaire, I understand you better than you might think. I’ve been questioned by others why I respect you even now. I know their viewpoints… those who scoff at what you believe in because they can’t wrap their heads around anything that doesn’t relate to themselves, or those that are hesitant to go all-in on you because, admittedly, some of your comments do borderline on the same egotism that those I just mentioned prior are vilified for. But the world isn’t always that black and white, and someone like me has always been willing to give the benefit of the doubt until I can form my own opinions based on my own experiences. That’s why I’ve been willing to respect you when no one else will, and that’s why I’m willing to take the next step beyond that and offer my hand in friendship even when the world around me believe I would be stupid to do so.
Whether or not you accept that offer is your choice Alistaire, and yours alone.
I’m not standing here and suggesting that you need any help, nor am I painting this picture that I would dare get involved in your affairs going forward barring a situation similar to what Cannon tried to pull on Owen two weeks ago. I’m putting the offer on the table for you to consider after our match that if you ever do find yourself needing someone to turn to for any reason, I’m always willing to lend an ear to what you have to say and a hand to get you through it. Consider it my way of showing you that you have more options available to you than even you may be aware of if necessary. Maybe you think that’s foolish… maybe your dad will crack jokes about it… but allow me to remind you that no matter your opinions on the kind of people they were, your dad had friends in this business and one such friendship helped you to get your foot in the door, to begin with. Having people I’m willing to fight for whose value will transcend any number of successes I will ever get in this business… that is the moral foundation I will proudly stand upon until the day I die and defend with every last breath in my body, and that is no less a weakness than being honest with myself or admitting to my own mistakes.
Ignoring part of your words because I know as competitors we’ll agree to disagree naturally, I truly do hope there is meaning behind your desire to face me as a friend. As much as I hate the circumstances behind it now, I meant it when I said I owed you a rematch free of outside influence, and if I’m going to prove that victory wasn’t a fluke then I want to walk out of Ottawa knowing that in a true one-on-one battle, my best against yours, that on this Wednesday night I am the better competitor. I won’t make this easy for you Alistaire and I truly hope you weren’t expecting things to be that way either, but I’ve made it clear what kind of man you’re facing and now it’s your turn to judge me as you will. The ending to this chapter of our stories is in your hands…
However it ends, I hope you’ll consider what I’ve said for the long term because that will always hold greater value than whichever one of us prevails at the end of this night.
On an unrelated note... while I don't want to spend the time trying to change it now since I'm pretty exhausted and want to try and get some decent sleep tonight, in the future I'm probably going to consider changing Dreambender's color code because, at least on my computer screen, it's admittedly hard on the eyes with this forum skin, and it's been a while since I've had this character speaking in any way to really notice this until now. At least for this piece, I apologize for that.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Don’t be afraid to stand up and fight for what’s important to you…
It’s a value that Aaron’s prided himself on for years, and the way he would always prefer to fall on his proverbial sword if it ever came to that.
Given our knowledge of how well Aaron deals with stress, one might think that in the face of his ever-increasing concerns outside the ring that he would continue to virtually play it safe week after week. After all, most would say there’s nothing wrong with keeping your head down and focusing on your own career first and foremost, and the wrestling artist seemed to have a fairly good balance going as competing and building momentum stabilized the chaos that continued to consume his life and his thoughts, perhaps more so after getting the chance two weeks ago to finally meet Liane’s numerous siblings and agreeing to add the task of putting their family problems to rest to his own growing list no matter how ill-advised it probably was. As far as he was concerned, what he’d gained from that meeting left no excuse as to why a family that possessed eleven hard-working young people dedicated to their respective crafts also possessed parents feeling so little hope for their own dreams that they felt the solution was to try and make bank on their children succeeding where they were afraid to even so much as try.
There’s a reason so many out there claim that age is only just a number.
Adding that to his growing concerns that his brother’s passing might not be the end of certain issues for him and his own family if he was a betting man, not to mention how much the playing field had shifted regarding how he’d hoped to finally regain control of his imagination once and for all, you wouldn’t be blamed for questioning Aaron’s actions the past few weeks. No longer was he simply staying quiet and going about his own business because two Breakdowns in a row now have seen him march down to the ring to get involved in matters pertaining to his best friend Owen Cruze. Two weeks ago he did what any true friend would’ve done when he blitzed the ring to keep Owen from becoming a piledriver victim all because Chris Cannon didn’t happen to like some of the things Owen said to him. Last week was a little trickier as he came out to stand up for the fact that Owen was being verbally run down because he had his reasons for not being present, and while he was standing tall at the end of the scuffle that followed he admittedly had a bitter taste in his mouth about how it all went down.
The task presented to him for this Breakdown was not going to be an easy one… to be fair, though, the same could be said about every fire he seemed to have an iron in right now.
Today was one of those days where it was all weighing heavily on Aaron’s mind, as no matter how much he tried to relax and just think things through he could only feel the headache growing more intense as a result. He’d honestly lost track of how much time he’d even spent on this task today alone… all he knew was that his best bet to get some breathing room right now would be to resolve something. Unfortunately, trying to even figure out what he wanted to prioritize first was becoming a task in and of itself, as he had probable cause to order this any way he saw fit knowing he might not gain any traction at all regardless of the order he chose to tackle them in.
“Maybe I finally let my ambitions guide me to biting off far more than I can chew…”
Aaron slumped back in his chair with a sigh as he pondered this possibility, as the more he tried to even leave the starting block on any of these issues the more he found himself going nowhere fast. One might believe the easiest solution was to focus on the mess that had spawned regarding Alistaire and his father as this one actually had a time limit on it with Breakdown barely days away at this point, but something within the creative soul seemed to latch onto the belief that finishing one of the other puzzles was the better move so he could truly give Alistaire his absolute best with no regrets or excuses, like he knew the man would want. That was far easier said than done, however… his latest challenge was still brand new for him to believe he could resolve it quickly without something being unaccounted for in the end, plus it required needing time to visit Michigan again to make the attempt to confront the Forte parents. The lingering threat of someone seemingly stalking him when he was back home after his brother’s funeral was a scenario built on assumptions and beliefs, leaving no stable ground to pursue any course of action without immense risk for the time being.
That left the possibility of the melee brewing within his mind, which almost needed a new puzzle entirely after his encounter with Gleeful a few weeks ago.
“Damn it! When did all of this become some insurmountable wall I can’t find the solution to? If anybody can find an answer to all of this, I can… right?”
In his frustration, he’d ended up flipping a small table he didn’t even remember sitting right in front of him, but right now his surroundings seemed to pale in comparison to the realization that doubt was beginning to creep in. To someone like Aaron, doubt was the ultimate enemy, leading you astray as you found yourself questioning everything you did no matter how strong the evidence was that something was finished or under control or could be resolved. Doubt was something he’d struggled with a lot when he was younger, questioning if he would ever be good enough to stand up and walk away from the burdens that threatened to crush him before he realized the only thing he really needed to do was just start walking down whatever path he felt was right. It wasn’t often he found himself in this state anymore now that he’d grown both as an artist both recognized and respected and as an in-ring competitor earning his place in one of the biggest organizations on the planet.
“Soda for your thoughts?”
Aaron didn’t even realize his hands were over his face until he pulled them away at the familiar voice, watching as Liane carefully put the table back into its proper place before opening up a blank soda can and setting it down in front of him before taking a seat right across from where he was. It was at this moment that he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow as something felt a bit… off to him. He knows the day had felt like a blur up to this point with how much he’d become fixated on trying to figure anything out, but there’s no way so much time had passed that he and Liane would find themselves someplace that just didn’t seem familiar. The room certainly felt homely enough, but the fact that it wasn’t his apartment and had no reason to be as Breakdown was nowhere near Seattle, nor was it the hotel room he knew they were staying in while in Ottawa for the show, should have caused every alarm possible to be going off. Even the fact that he was being given some unmarked can of pop should have been a red flag considering no company out there would refuse to plaster their branding all over their product in this day and age. And yet, his mind seemed to ignore all of this as he still took a drink of the beverage and focused only on his fiancée.
“I don’t even know where to begin with my thoughts Liane. I know I’ve told you before I’ve got no problem doing things the hard way as long as I still reach the final destination, but this is something I’ve never felt before. I just can’t seem to try and figure out one problem without needing to divert attention to the others, like I’m somehow supposed to resolve them all at once. Hell, I almost feel like this would’ve been the case if I hadn’t picked up some extra luggage along the way.”
“I know you’ve got a lot on your plate Aaron, but there’s always a way to sort through it all. You’re just having a hard time seeing it right now because you’re letting yourself get so stressed out over feeling like you’re losing control.”
Aaron paused just before taking another drink as Liane said this. It was a sound breakthrough, don’t get him wrong, but he also couldn’t help but realize there was something amiss about it. Liane was a woman whose intellect was gravely underestimated, especially when it came to emotions, but not even she would’ve worded a potential solution to his problems in that fashion. Curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to test the waters a bit.
“So what would you recommend then, honey?”
“Well… for starters, you don’t have to do this alone. You’ve always got your clown princess by your side to lend an ear, you’ve got your family once again, you’ve got Owen if you’re willing to help him in exchange which I know you always are. There are also some beings sitting in your head that would probably be more than happy to lend a hand too, right?”
“Fair point. But how do I know for sure that some of the latter are as willing to help me as they claim?”
“Maybe the better question is… what does anybody really have to lose at this point?”
Almost in an instant, Aaron felt himself being blinded by an overwhelmingly bright flash of white light. A few moments were necessary in order to shake this off, but once he could finally see again his suspicions were confirmed. It was no wonder why he felt like he’d completely lost track of everything that wasn’t his thoughts because he was in a place where time basically meant absolutely nothing for the most part. Some of the furniture, like the chairs being occupied and the table where his abandoned pop once again sat along with a few other miscellaneous objects, were floating in an endless void that could easily pass for outer space if it also happened to be lacking oxygen. It was a realm he’d never visited before, but one he knew for sure had to exist somewhere in his seemingly endless mindscape. The being sitting across from him was no longer the image of his beloved, but instead the other spectral entity he hadn’t been face-to-face with in what felt like an eternity.
“Why am I not surprised? Long time no see, Dreambender.”
“Likewise, and welcome to my little home-away-from-Gleeful. You’ll have to excuse the mess… I haven’t had the chance to tidy up considering, much like you, I’ve been really tied up these days.”
Dreambender motioned towards the pop as if he was offering Aaron the chance to resume its consumption, but given who he was staring down now he was hesitant to take his chances any more than he already had. One thing he did notice, which Dreambender seemed indifferent to hiding, was the various glowing white cuts trailing along his arm that almost resembled battle scars if he were made of flesh and bone like his creator was. He did recall Gleeful mentioning before that her brother had been the one taking greater control over their efforts to spearhead their faction’s efforts in this war they kind of helped start in the first place, but it wasn’t until now that he really began to see the toll it was taking on someone aside from himself and those caught in the crossfire.
“Alright, what’s your game this time?”
“No games Aaron, not today. At least, not anymore. Sorry I kind of masqueraded as Liane for a bit there, but I was trying to make this as unhostile as possible so you wouldn’t be jumping down my throat when we got to this point. Unhostile… is that even a word? Maybe I’ve been indulging in too much of my sister’s less-thought-out suggestions lately to get the job done after all.”
Aaron made an effort to cut himself off after hearing this before he went trying to pick a verbal fight prematurely. While he knew full well Dreambender could have been trying to toy with him, he couldn’t help but think back to his unexpected confrontation with Gleeful and how she handled the situation in a fashion more befitting of her brother. If he was doing the same just with the roles reversed… considering he recalled in his extensive character notes all the way back when the Twin Stars were slowly being brought to life that this was certainly possible but would be very rare and usually the result of something huge that warranted it.
“I take it you’ve been thinking pretty hard about what she said to you, huh?”
“Kind of hard to ignore when she actually makes a really good point for a change. Still, you’ll have to forgive me if my whole body isn’t back on the bandwagon just yet.”
“And I don’t blame you for taking the cautious approach. My sis was right about us really just wanting your attention when you started opening your mind more to the world and staying in character with how we did just that, even if I’ll admit it wasn’t the best approach in retrospect. Maybe if we didn’t have another creature trying to stir more chaos into the mix things wouldn’t have turned out as serious as they did, regarding us at the very least.”
The more logical of the galactic siblings motioned again to the pop can, and this time it began floating in response over to where Aaron sat.
“You should drink that, by the way. You’re right to assume it’s not actually pop, but it’s something that’ll help calm you down. You have my word on it, and if I’m lying may my power allow you to awaken from your current slumber.”
Aaron still wasn’t fully convinced on that, but his mind couldn’t resist returning to a very old question of his regarding how much influence Dreambender actually had over his dreams. That was designed to be his primary power, after all, but given that he was ultimately just another imaginary being renting some real estate in the artist’s imagination… Aaron decided to at least see where this was going for the time being as his ‘host’ didn’t seem willing to continue until he took him up on the offer, and even he had to admit that once he began consuming the drink once again his mind was beginning to relax at long last, his body no longer feeling like it wasn’t to just fall to pieces under the weight of his mental burdens.
“That… actually helps.”
“Consider it a peace offering to prove my intentions are genuine, as are my sister’s. As much as we’d love to keep antagonizing you just because we WERE built to be villains, after all, even we can’t ignore the fact that we’re struggling as much as you are because of a certain corrupted mirror image of you that’s crossing lines even we weren’t honestly willing to cross.”
“Nemesis… I know who you mean, but please elaborate on this line he’s trying to cross.”
As if he were expecting this, the spectral child pointed upward, and as Aaron craned his neck to follow he saw what could easily resemble a ceiling designed to play his recent escapades within SCW from the past two weeks, which immediately brought back to mind one of the problems at hand.
“We all know Nemesis is fueled by your stress and any negative emotions you end up feeling. What you probably didn’t know is that he clearly wasn’t getting what he wanted as far as that’s concerned out of this paranoia caused by whatever’s going on every now and then with this person trying to get your attention back home, or even your frustrations over the problems we’ve admittedly contributed to going on in here right alongside him as we’ve been trying to stand against him, for better or worse. He’s getting greedy… he misses the power he had when you were putting up with that Scarlet girl’s nonsense, so he’s trying to fabricate more problems by taking advantage of one of your more admirable qualities.”
Aaron took another drink in order to try and maintain the calm washing over him, although this didn’t keep his hand from slowly clenching into a fist and crushing the now-empty can in the process before he flung it into the void around them. Dreambender just leaned back, causing his chair to float away a bit to be on the safe side with his guest.
“I thought something was feeling more off than usual lately. The near-piledriver was one thing because Owen didn’t deserve to have his neck broken or worse, but going out to confront Adam and stand up for Owen when he wasn’t there to defend himself last week and end up creating a mess because I let that manipulative bastard get under my skin? Maybe I was focusing on the wrong puppet master…”
“You know Nemesis loves to screw with you, Aaron. Yeah, Gleeful and I do too, but we’re only being true to ourselves and trying to have fun in the process despite how wrong it can come off at times. He never does anything without an ulterior motive.”
Aaron could only sigh and lean back, willingly letting his chair do a backflip in the zero-gravity environment in hopes that it might ease some of this newfound strain.
“How the hell do I explain this to Alistaire?”
“If you ask me, he’s a pretty good example of what you gained by taking on this new challenge with your girl’s sisters and brother. His dad’s a manipulative leech trying to live out his lost glory days through his more successful son. I know you won’t say those things to him, so I’ll happily say them for you since he’ll never get to know me to argue. But you’ll figure something out… you’re one of the most creative people in the world Aaron, and I’m not just saying that to flatter you. You’ve solved problems in ways no one would dare to consider because YOU knew it was the right way.”
“…you’re right, just like every other issue I’ve overcome in my life and career. The fact that I stood strong for as long as I did in order to find my solution through so many things that would’ve driven others insane long before then… Nemesis is terrified of that. It’s the only reason why he would make such a bold move hoping to manufacture more issues to sabotage me. He knows he’s nowhere near strong enough to break me, so he needs to put me in a state of mind where I effectively beat myself.”
In Aaron’s revelation, he stood up, almost like he was somehow standing on solid ground again, and had found himself getting more and more into what he was saying that he’d turned his back on Dreambender. He found himself stopping when he turned around and realized the other half of this conversation had disappeared, as had the furniture now, and the space around him was slowly fading as well. He figured he knew what this meant, but Dreambender’s voice echoed throughout the fading void with one last piece to help him finish these puzzles.
“Gleeful and I had an epiphany Aaron, just like we’re trying to help you have one as well. Nemesis isn’t one of your creations like we are… he’s pure cancer, and the only way we’re going to beat this cancer is together. We’re not going to ask for any reward or expect one, but know that you always have friends you’d never expect in the least likely of places to rely on if you need them.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aaron’s eyes slowly opened, and while it was still dark considering the time and the fact the blinds were keeping the rising sun out of the room for the moment, he could at least feel himself easing into something familiar. The Ottawa hotel he clearly remembered checking into a day or two beforehand leading up to the impending Breakdown, the sound of his phone’s alarm clock going off to try and get him into gear for the day…“mmm… please Lady Appleton, no more marshmallows…”
…the amusing sleep chatter of his soon-to-be-wife as she clung to him and nibbled on part of his pajama top in response to whatever she was dreaming about.
It all brought a smile to his face that actually didn’t feel hollow for a change, unlike the past week to some degree after he’d left the Target Center back in Minneapolis. He took a moment to carefully stretch his arms and take this in while things were still peaceful and serene for him, one hand soon moving down to gently pet Liane’s long chocolate locks. This action slowly roused her from her slumber, and while she sheepishly spat out the fabric adorning her lover’s chest she couldn’t help but grin up at him all the same.
“I’m guessing you actually had a good night of sleep if you’re smiling like that again?”
“You could say that… I at least got a second opinion from an unlikely source that’s going to go a long way in finally sorting things out, starting with the Allocco situation. Also, it helps to know you were clearly enjoying your dream, though Lady Appleton might need to back off on feeding you marshmallows if I want to keep this top intact.”
She couldn’t help but giggle and playfully punch his arm before the two of them began to rise and get ready for the day ahead. In his euphoria of wanting to just push forward to what he knew he needed to do now, especially in refusal of Nemesis getting any satisfaction from preying on something that made him strong instead of being a tool for ‘stress incarnate’ to play with, he ignored the fact that at some point during the night he’d received a text message, as had the rest of his family. Perhaps soon he’d come to deal with it, but one thing at a time…
Right now, addressing a man he respected when few others cared to and mending this broken fence took priority over a message that doesn’t need to be repeated in fear of who it might end up offending coming from a number that should have no longer had the capability of being active.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a flawed human being…I know, probably not what you were expecting to hear out of me, but it’s the truth. For all the things people praise me for week in and week out, I have just as many cracks in my self-designed armor. I mention this because, over the course of the past two weeks, you have all seen something from me that you haven’t very often, and that’s Aaron Blackbourne getting involved in certain matters. Maybe those who say I had no right to stick my nose where it didn’t belong would be right, but I am a man who has always worn his heart on his sleeve and acted accordingly to what I feel was right. One thing that will always fit that bill is the fact that I hold the bonds I’ve created in very high regard, perhaps more than any championship, as much as I know that thought will have several of you laughing.
With that knowledge, I want you to imagine how it feels when the best advice I’m offered in regards to situations where I know I should be willing to stand and fight for what I hold in high regard is to simply focus on my own career and keep grinding away at the path I’m laying out brick by brick.
Now, normally this is very sound advice, and against my own judgment, I’ve done my best to stick to this over the course of the past few months. After all, as much as I feel I owed Katya a share of karma for thinking it was alright to play games with my love life, it was believed that battling on the front lines against her was not where my focus should be. As much as I know Owen is more than capable of standing on his own two feet and fighting his own battles, trying to rebuild lost momentum was deemed a smarter option than backing him up against Sienna’s tendency to take whatever odds she can stack in her favor because it’s clear as day her greatest fear is falling from the grace that is her sole lifeline around here.
These were not entirely my decisions, but I went along with the suggestion anyway because even I know that emotions can often cause problems you don’t intend them to.
Last week was a perfect example of that, unfortunately.
Before I get to a man who I know is listening to every word I say with bated breath to hear a few very specific words, I want to make something clear. I’ve admitted to being flawed, just as I’ll admit that despite my recent successes in the ring, my mind has been all over the place to some degree as of late. I was willing to share the passing of my brother, one key reason behind these latest developments… it really put a lot into perspective for me. There was a lengthy period of time where he and I had grown very much apart because some of his life choices had made him into someone I didn’t want to associate myself with anymore, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was still my brother at the end of the day and he meant the world to me. Losing him really made me step back and think long and hard about what I have to my name… what I’ve done in the ring, the work I’ve created outside of it… would any of it mean as much without the people who helped get me to that point? Having Liane in my life, mending broken bridges with my family after all these years, the fact that I can walk away from this business someday knowing that I have at least one true friend I can always count on to do anything that transcends those ropes and the arenas they’re set up in…
If you want to consider that a serious flaw in who I am and play on it, then go right ahead. At least at the end of the day I know I’m at least being honest with myself and willing to defend what’s important to me.
Alistaire, I know last week was a very different situation compared to the threat of Owen being piledriven. We’re in agreement that your father had no right to make the comments he did, considering it was made clear Owen had a very good reason for not being able to attend Breakdown. I’ll admit that maybe I got a bit overzealous in my actions, even if I feel justified in wanting to defend a man who wasn’t there to defend himself like a good friend would without any second thought. As far as the physicality that happened… the only valid reason I can give you is instincts kicking in. Believe that if you want despite knowing as well as I do how all-consuming that drive can be when you find yourself backed into a corner, but your father’s sucker punch warranted a response when my momentary lack of sight easily made sense of the likelihood that he was moving in to continue his attack. When he decided to take advantage of the fact that you were trying to subdue me to get a few extra shots in, anyone could easily justify a two-on-one situation in the heat of the moment.
Despite all of that though… I’m sorry.
No half-assed efforts, no ploy to try and rile you up any further… I apologize for my actions last week. I’ll give your father this: the stories I’ve heard about him knowing just how to get under people’s skin to get exactly what he wanted are true, and in that moment I let my flaws dictate that the appropriate response was what led to things breaking down the way they did. You didn’t deserve any of that, and while I can only speculate on whether or not you were truly expecting me to actually apologize, I have no shame in admitting when I’ve made a mistake.
After all, I’m only human.
That said… do you know what someone as creative as I can be truly takes pride in Alistaire? It’s the knowledge that no matter how great a piece you craft, regardless of the amount of time you spend on it, there will always be flaws and somebody will take notice. There is no such thing as perfection, after all… no matter what certain individuals will claim as a substitute for the confidence they truly lack in who they really are beneath the surface. I will never stand here and try to pretend to be anything I’m not. I know what I am: a creative soul, a fighter, a true friend, and someone who will always dedicate himself to those causes no matter what. It’s because of the dedication to fighting for the bonds I’ve built in my life and the willingness to learn from past mistakes and rebuild what’s lost that I understand why you continue to stand by your father no matter what he does.
It’s for that same reason that I want you to know that you don’t have to do that alone.
Believe me Alistaire, I understand you better than you might think. I’ve been questioned by others why I respect you even now. I know their viewpoints… those who scoff at what you believe in because they can’t wrap their heads around anything that doesn’t relate to themselves, or those that are hesitant to go all-in on you because, admittedly, some of your comments do borderline on the same egotism that those I just mentioned prior are vilified for. But the world isn’t always that black and white, and someone like me has always been willing to give the benefit of the doubt until I can form my own opinions based on my own experiences. That’s why I’ve been willing to respect you when no one else will, and that’s why I’m willing to take the next step beyond that and offer my hand in friendship even when the world around me believe I would be stupid to do so.
Whether or not you accept that offer is your choice Alistaire, and yours alone.
I’m not standing here and suggesting that you need any help, nor am I painting this picture that I would dare get involved in your affairs going forward barring a situation similar to what Cannon tried to pull on Owen two weeks ago. I’m putting the offer on the table for you to consider after our match that if you ever do find yourself needing someone to turn to for any reason, I’m always willing to lend an ear to what you have to say and a hand to get you through it. Consider it my way of showing you that you have more options available to you than even you may be aware of if necessary. Maybe you think that’s foolish… maybe your dad will crack jokes about it… but allow me to remind you that no matter your opinions on the kind of people they were, your dad had friends in this business and one such friendship helped you to get your foot in the door, to begin with. Having people I’m willing to fight for whose value will transcend any number of successes I will ever get in this business… that is the moral foundation I will proudly stand upon until the day I die and defend with every last breath in my body, and that is no less a weakness than being honest with myself or admitting to my own mistakes.
Ignoring part of your words because I know as competitors we’ll agree to disagree naturally, I truly do hope there is meaning behind your desire to face me as a friend. As much as I hate the circumstances behind it now, I meant it when I said I owed you a rematch free of outside influence, and if I’m going to prove that victory wasn’t a fluke then I want to walk out of Ottawa knowing that in a true one-on-one battle, my best against yours, that on this Wednesday night I am the better competitor. I won’t make this easy for you Alistaire and I truly hope you weren’t expecting things to be that way either, but I’ve made it clear what kind of man you’re facing and now it’s your turn to judge me as you will. The ending to this chapter of our stories is in your hands…
However it ends, I hope you’ll consider what I’ve said for the long term because that will always hold greater value than whichever one of us prevails at the end of this night.