Post by Andrew Jacobsen on Mar 29, 2015 7:15:47 GMT
March 20, 2015
Andrew sits in the living room of the Conway family home, rolling his right shoulder to work out a cramp of some sort. He runs a hand through his hair, still somewhat slick with sweat. The sound of a shower can be heard upstairs, and Andrew reaches forward, grabbing a water bottle from beside the couch. He pops it open, taking a quick drink, and sets it on the coffee table. Footsteps from behind him make Andrew turn, and he grins as he sees Solitaire Conway walking into the room.
"Heya Solitaire. How's it going? It's been...god, it's been a while, hasn't it? I haven't had the chance to ask you, did you like the DVD I put together for you?"
Solitaire nods, dropping down on the loveseat across from Andrew.
"It was really nice. I liked watching Daddy win the World Title. Jack Hammond seems like he wasn't the smartest wrestler, though."
Andrew shakes his head, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Hammo had a lot of heart, but not always the most brains. Glad you liked it, though."
Solitaire nods again, watching Andrew trying to shake off the post-workout aches. She watches him carefully, eyes gleaming.
"You've been training with Daddy to get back in the ring, right?"
Andrew nods, grimacing as another stiff muscle decides to make its presence known. He gently massages it with his fingers, managing to bleed the grimace into a warm smile.
"Yeah. Just doesn't feel right being outside it. I've got wrestling in me through and through, what can I say?"
The young girl grins, nodding excitedly at Andrew.
"Uh-huh. I'm glad. I missed watching you. Are you and Daddy going to be a team together?"
Andrew shrugs, leaning back on the couch and rolling the idea around in his head.
"Honestly? I don't know. We might be eventually...but your daddy's got himself wrapped up in his own business, and I'm just to the point where I feel comfortable stepping back in the ring. We'll see, eh princess? Maybe the old North Star's got a bit of magic up his sleeve yet."
Solitaire's smile at that pays credit to her namesake, a beaming grin that could light up the room in pitch blackness. Andrew's own smile grows a bit as he looks at her, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. The reverie is broken, though, by another set of footsteps, these far heavier, coming down the stairs. The Ace walks downstairs in a fairly casual (for him, anyway) set of clothing, and Solitaire leaps up, running over to hug her father. Ace catches her and spins her around, giving her forehead a quick peck before setting the giggling child down again.
"That's my girl. Been keeping Andrew company, have we?"
Solitaire nods excitedly.
"Uh-huh uh-huh! Is he really going to be wrestling again, Daddy?"
Ace chuckles, patting his older daughter on the head affectionately.
"That's the plan. Now, run along. Daddy and Andrew have some business to discuss."
Solitaire nods excitedly, and with one last wave to Andrew, runs upstairs again. The two men watch her go, and Ace walks over to where she sat, sitting down with a chuckle.
"Ah, the exuberance of childhood. So, what's the verdict? Do you think you'll be ready to go soon?"
Andrew nods, a grin on his face.
"Hell, I'd be ready to go tomorrow. I'm feeling good, Jake. Real good. Better than I have in a long time. Ring-ready."
Ace nods, grinning like a man who's just won the jackpot.
"Excellent. As it happens, I have an entry in the Roulette match at High Stakes that I need to deal with. I'm going to want to save my strength for the Man of Steel Title match, and that means I need to do something with it...how about you take that?"
Andrew blinks, rubbing his eyes.
"Wait, Roulette? As in "win and you get a main event shot at Night of the Immortals" Roulette? You're just...handing me an in?"
Ace shakes his head, leaning forward and steepling his fingers.
"No. I'm challenging anyone in the back to come out and stand in the ring eye to eye with me. I know they won't. I know you will. You're getting this because I know you're a man who stands for something, Andrew. You won't let me down on that front. I know that. So...what do you say?"
Andrew looks down, sighing slowly. Thoughts flash behind his eyes, and he runs a hand through his hair. After a few seconds that feel like a dragging, tearing eternity, he looks up and into the eyes of the Ace.
"You have a deal."
Nighthawk.
Now there's a name that I'm happy to see. Hawk, you're a man of integrity. Few and far between, we are, but you certainly fit that bill. I like you. I'm looking forward to wrestling you, because I know you'll be a true test of mettle. If this were just you and I, I'd be downright happy with my lot in life. But it's not just us. We won't get to swap holds and test each others' technical skills like we both want to. And that's fine, because the stakes are so much higher than that kind of exhibition. This is a shot at the big time, THE big shot at the big time.
That means no time for screwing around. Business needs to pick up, and that means we've got to focus on what's important. I've been given a chance, and I intend to take it and run with it all the way down the field. Another chance at immortality awaits the winner of this match, and, well...who doesn't want to live forever?
Renee...damn, I'm sorry. Reñee. Where are my manners? Can't mispronounce your name like that. I might get buried under the ensuing avalanche of obscenities. Reñee, believe me, I understand having a grudge against Roberto Verona. The man ended my time as World Champion. He took that from me, and he did to my last home what it looks like he did to IWF. You're fighting from where I was fighting a few years ago, trying to topple the tyrant. And in that pursuit? Fight the good fight.
But where it comes to the Imperial Championship and Alex Jones? The man may be an asshole, but don't you sell him short. He's a deadly competitor, and better men than you have been left laid out because they underestimated him.
You want that title to spite Verona. I want the title because it's the damn World Championship.
You want to beat Alex Jones because you see him as a puppet. I want to beat him because he's the one standing between me and the top.
I've fought my revolution already. I've been the one on the barricades, flying the banner high and getting shot full of holes for it. That's not my dog here. That's not why I'm back. I'm not here to try to flip the table...
I'm just here to run it. The wheel's a-spinning, folks, and I've got a good feeling about my number. Time for the spin...and luck be a lady tonight.
Andrew sits in the living room of the Conway family home, rolling his right shoulder to work out a cramp of some sort. He runs a hand through his hair, still somewhat slick with sweat. The sound of a shower can be heard upstairs, and Andrew reaches forward, grabbing a water bottle from beside the couch. He pops it open, taking a quick drink, and sets it on the coffee table. Footsteps from behind him make Andrew turn, and he grins as he sees Solitaire Conway walking into the room.
"Heya Solitaire. How's it going? It's been...god, it's been a while, hasn't it? I haven't had the chance to ask you, did you like the DVD I put together for you?"
Solitaire nods, dropping down on the loveseat across from Andrew.
"It was really nice. I liked watching Daddy win the World Title. Jack Hammond seems like he wasn't the smartest wrestler, though."
Andrew shakes his head, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Hammo had a lot of heart, but not always the most brains. Glad you liked it, though."
Solitaire nods again, watching Andrew trying to shake off the post-workout aches. She watches him carefully, eyes gleaming.
"You've been training with Daddy to get back in the ring, right?"
Andrew nods, grimacing as another stiff muscle decides to make its presence known. He gently massages it with his fingers, managing to bleed the grimace into a warm smile.
"Yeah. Just doesn't feel right being outside it. I've got wrestling in me through and through, what can I say?"
The young girl grins, nodding excitedly at Andrew.
"Uh-huh. I'm glad. I missed watching you. Are you and Daddy going to be a team together?"
Andrew shrugs, leaning back on the couch and rolling the idea around in his head.
"Honestly? I don't know. We might be eventually...but your daddy's got himself wrapped up in his own business, and I'm just to the point where I feel comfortable stepping back in the ring. We'll see, eh princess? Maybe the old North Star's got a bit of magic up his sleeve yet."
Solitaire's smile at that pays credit to her namesake, a beaming grin that could light up the room in pitch blackness. Andrew's own smile grows a bit as he looks at her, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. The reverie is broken, though, by another set of footsteps, these far heavier, coming down the stairs. The Ace walks downstairs in a fairly casual (for him, anyway) set of clothing, and Solitaire leaps up, running over to hug her father. Ace catches her and spins her around, giving her forehead a quick peck before setting the giggling child down again.
"That's my girl. Been keeping Andrew company, have we?"
Solitaire nods excitedly.
"Uh-huh uh-huh! Is he really going to be wrestling again, Daddy?"
Ace chuckles, patting his older daughter on the head affectionately.
"That's the plan. Now, run along. Daddy and Andrew have some business to discuss."
Solitaire nods excitedly, and with one last wave to Andrew, runs upstairs again. The two men watch her go, and Ace walks over to where she sat, sitting down with a chuckle.
"Ah, the exuberance of childhood. So, what's the verdict? Do you think you'll be ready to go soon?"
Andrew nods, a grin on his face.
"Hell, I'd be ready to go tomorrow. I'm feeling good, Jake. Real good. Better than I have in a long time. Ring-ready."
Ace nods, grinning like a man who's just won the jackpot.
"Excellent. As it happens, I have an entry in the Roulette match at High Stakes that I need to deal with. I'm going to want to save my strength for the Man of Steel Title match, and that means I need to do something with it...how about you take that?"
Andrew blinks, rubbing his eyes.
"Wait, Roulette? As in "win and you get a main event shot at Night of the Immortals" Roulette? You're just...handing me an in?"
Ace shakes his head, leaning forward and steepling his fingers.
"No. I'm challenging anyone in the back to come out and stand in the ring eye to eye with me. I know they won't. I know you will. You're getting this because I know you're a man who stands for something, Andrew. You won't let me down on that front. I know that. So...what do you say?"
Andrew looks down, sighing slowly. Thoughts flash behind his eyes, and he runs a hand through his hair. After a few seconds that feel like a dragging, tearing eternity, he looks up and into the eyes of the Ace.
"You have a deal."
Nighthawk.
Now there's a name that I'm happy to see. Hawk, you're a man of integrity. Few and far between, we are, but you certainly fit that bill. I like you. I'm looking forward to wrestling you, because I know you'll be a true test of mettle. If this were just you and I, I'd be downright happy with my lot in life. But it's not just us. We won't get to swap holds and test each others' technical skills like we both want to. And that's fine, because the stakes are so much higher than that kind of exhibition. This is a shot at the big time, THE big shot at the big time.
That means no time for screwing around. Business needs to pick up, and that means we've got to focus on what's important. I've been given a chance, and I intend to take it and run with it all the way down the field. Another chance at immortality awaits the winner of this match, and, well...who doesn't want to live forever?
Renee...damn, I'm sorry. Reñee. Where are my manners? Can't mispronounce your name like that. I might get buried under the ensuing avalanche of obscenities. Reñee, believe me, I understand having a grudge against Roberto Verona. The man ended my time as World Champion. He took that from me, and he did to my last home what it looks like he did to IWF. You're fighting from where I was fighting a few years ago, trying to topple the tyrant. And in that pursuit? Fight the good fight.
But where it comes to the Imperial Championship and Alex Jones? The man may be an asshole, but don't you sell him short. He's a deadly competitor, and better men than you have been left laid out because they underestimated him.
You want that title to spite Verona. I want the title because it's the damn World Championship.
You want to beat Alex Jones because you see him as a puppet. I want to beat him because he's the one standing between me and the top.
I've fought my revolution already. I've been the one on the barricades, flying the banner high and getting shot full of holes for it. That's not my dog here. That's not why I'm back. I'm not here to try to flip the table...
I'm just here to run it. The wheel's a-spinning, folks, and I've got a good feeling about my number. Time for the spin...and luck be a lady tonight.
Well howdy there pardner.