Post by Damon Graves on Aug 10, 2016 20:22:42 GMT -5
Saturday August 6th, 2016
Scene opens with a shot of the exterior of the shop where Damon Graves and Aurora Knight have set up their new business, which finally has signage installed, showing the establishment to be, what else, a tattoo parlor named Rebel Ink. A semi is parked out front and there is a steady stream of men unloading the trailer, hauling out various pieces of furniture. Damon is standing on the sidewalk, supervising.
Damon: Is that the last of it?
Mover: Yes, sir.
Damon goes over and looks in the back of the trailer. He smiles, nods his head, and turns to walk into the shop. Inside, we see a flurry of activity. Damon’s mentors from Hard Luck Tattoos, Joey and Oscar, are prepping workstations that have already been installed. His Tag Team partner and girlfriend, Aurora Knight is on a stepladder, hanging up framed collections of flash art. Even the Perrys are pitching in; Alicia is at the receptionist’s desk, interviewing potential employees, while Jason is helping move some of the heavier equipment. After a few minutes, most of the major work is done. Damon signs some paperwork and hands a check over to one of the movers. After that, he walks over to the desk and reaches under the counter to retrieve an item covered in paper. He nods to Alicia, who promptly stands up and walks towards the front door. Damon walks over to Aurora, who has just stepped down from the stepladder.
Damon: Everything looking good, Harley?
Aurora: Looks that way to me…
Damon: Great. Listen, we have one last piece to deal with.
He hands the package to Aurora. While she opens it up, everyone else in the shop has gathered around. Aurora’s eyes go wide and her mouth drops open when she sees what was inside the plain brown wrapper. We go to a shot over her shoulder, where we see this:
Aurora: A-are you serious? Damon, I swear if this is a joke, then so help me….
Damon: No, Harley, it isn’t. This is as real as it gets….
Damon reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring box, which he holds up after going down to one knee. Aurora smiles, clenching her hands together in front of her chest.
Aurora: About time you got my ring back from the engraver….
Damon chuckles as he opens up the ring box. Almost immediately, Aurora’s eyes begin to water up as she recognizes the ring being presented to her.
Aurora: Oh my god… Damon, is that..? Where did you get my mother’s engagement ring?!?
Voice: I gave it to him, dear…
Aurora whips her head around to see her father standing behind her. She continues to stand there, her mouth hanging open in shock.
Aurora: Daddy?
Ian: Yes, Rory. I know I’ve been a stubborn ass these last few years, but thanks to that young man over there….
Before Ian can even finish his sentence, Aurora turns back to Damon, then spins on her heel to fling herself at her father, and the two of them lock into a tight embrace. Completely overwhelmed with emotion, she buries her face into her father’s neck and starts crying.
Ian: So, Aurora, can you forgive me for being a mule-headed old fool these past four years?
Aurora squeezes him tighter.
Aurora: (muffled) Only if you forgive ME…
From behind the two of them, we can hear Damon clearing his throat. Ian pulls back, staring at his daughter as he nods toward Damon.
Ian: Well, what are you standing here gawking at me for? There’s a man down on one knee waiting for you over there, and I think he’s got something to say!
Ian lets his daughter go so that she can pay attention to her suitor. With her hands nervously covering her mouth, she stands in front of Damon, who takes a moment to swallow the lump in his throat before he speaks.
Damon: Aurora Diamond Quinn, will you marry me?
For a moment, she giggles at the mention of her maiden name, then looks around to see everyone in the room staring at them as she bites her lower lip. With her father nodding his head in approval, she then looks at Damon and flashes the mother of all smiles.
Aurora: This is a little soon, and I know people are going to look at me like I’m crazy, but screw it! YES!!! Of course I will!
Damon pulls the ruby and diamond ring from the box and slips it onto the ring finger of her left hand. Once he’s done this, Aurora yanks him up to his feet and passionately locks lips with her now fiancé. Everyone in the room erupts into applause, except the Perrys, who hug each other closely as they look on.
Alicia: (sighs) Brings back memories, doesn’t it?
Jason: Yeah, but Aurora’s dad doesn’t look like he wants to bury a machete between Damon’s eyes.
Alicia: Oh, you. That was just his way to see what kind of man you were. He’s warmed up to you a lot since then…
Jason: Yeah.. now he just aims for non-vital organs…
Alicia playfully punches his massive arm. From off-screen, we can hear bottles popping, and when we pan around, Joey and Oscar have opened some bottles of sparkling cider. As Joey hands a pair of glasses to the newly-engaged couple, Aurora cocks her head to the side, eyeing the sparkling beverage curiously.
Aurora: What, no champagne?
Damon: Some of us still have to drive… besides, I have a couple of bottles of the good stuff chilling back at home…
The smile never leaving her face, she shakes her head.
Aurora: You had this all planned out, didn’t you?
Damon: I had help….
He nods in Alicia’s direction as the legendary former champion winks back at him. Joey comes around with glasses for Alicia and Jason as they join the celebration. Jason approaches Damon, slapping him on the shoulder in a congratulatory manner.
Jason: Well kid, now comes the fun part… think you can handle it?
Damon: As long as she doesn’t go Bridezilla on me, I think I’ll be fine….
Damon winks at his new bride-to-be, who smirks at him as the scene cuts away.
Tuesday, August 9th, 2016
Scene opens up on the shoreline outside the condo complex where Damon and Aurora reside, where the cameras catch Damon Graves sitting barefoot and shirtless on the sand, dressed in jeans with his hands draped over his knees. He stares out across the ocean, a cold expression on his face as his eyes narrow into a squint. It’s unsure as to why he’s doing this, as it’s fairly late at night; none of the lights from across the harbor are anywhere near bright enough to cause this. Perhaps it’s just the mood he’s in?
Damon: You’d think that living this close to the beach, the sound of the waves would be enough to calm anyone down. And to be honest, I should be on top of the world right now. I’m one half of the NGW Tag Team Champions, engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world, and I’m just days away from launching my own business, doing the only thing I love as much as wrestling.
But what’s missing? Why can’t I just sit back and enjoy the life I live outside the squared circle?
Damon turns toward the camera, the cold look in his eyes fading into a dagger-like stare as his green eyes burn a hole into the lens.
Damon: Simple… it’s because the person I’m facing at Vendetta is the same person behind the fact that so far, the titles my fiancée and I carry have about the same level of respect as a park restroom. But that’s a reputation that I’m about to change, starting right fucking now!
Damon stands up, dusting the sand off of his jeans before stuffing his hands into his pockets. He begins to walk along the water’s edge, the water running over his feet as his toes sink into the wet sand.
Damon: Kenzie Rydell… former Five Lakes Champion, and the little brat that likes to talk about egos, when hers is exponentially bigger than mine could ever be.
He sneers as his opponent’s name flows from his mouth, as if he can’t even bear to say it without getting angry. With a low growl in his voice, he continues.
Damon: You know, why Aurora tolerates your existence, I’ll never understand. Then again, compared to me, she’s got all the patience in the world. Me? My tolerance for bullshit got used up the moment you decided to get shitfaced at City of Sin.
Ever since that day, every time I hear anyone mention your name, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth; you know, kind of like the one I’m sure you had the morning after your little drunken bender, only with less vomit. I come out and do my part, hyping this match and getting the fans anxious to tune in to Vendetta. By the way, Devlin, you’re welcome.
He scoffs, his nostrils flaring as the air pushes out through his nose.
Damon: But you, Rydell? It took you forever and a fucking day to utter even one peep about this match. It isn’t as if you’ve fallen off the face of the earth, either; as of a couple of days ago, you were posting on Twitter. Nothing about our match, but still, it proves that you were alive…. That is, unless we’ve been invaded by pod people and you’ve been replaced by a clone. If that was the case, I would have hoped that this version of Kenzie Rydell had grown a fucking spine. Too bad for all of us, that isn’t the case.
If you’re afraid, grow up and own up to it. Admitting to fearing something doesn’t make you any less of a person. In your case, that isn’t humanly possible. You can deny being scared of me, but the facts don’t lie. You had TWO matches at City of Sin, but which one did you skip out on? You guessed it, you pussed out of the match I was involved in. Apparently, you thought that you would have an easier time dealing with Ashleigh. And you were right; in that shriveled raisin she calls a heart, she found a sliver of pity and spared you a humiliating beating and just rolled your drunken ass up. At Vendetta, I’ll be leaving my heart back in the dressing room, because the closer we get to bell time, the more reason you’ll have to fear me. As the seconds tick away, the anger inside keeps building. And thanks to the training I’ve been receiving, I’m going to focus that anger into a weapon, a scalpel to dissect you like a frog in a high school biology class.
Damon takes a step into the sand, finding a small rock buried beneath a layer of wet sand. As it digs into the sole of his foot, he pulls it back, then digs through the muck to pull out the offending pebble. He sneers, then flings it out into the ocean.
Damon: It’s true… Aurora doesn’t need me to stand out in the crowd. Look at her; she’s doing fine as she is. But I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to use that as a means of bruising my ego. Your little cheap shots? The jabs at the fact that my matches aren’t as high-profile as hers have been; it’s not going to work, Kenz. And think about it… it wasn’t Aurora that pinned Avery Miles to win the tag team titles that night… it was ME! So yeah, I’m gonna be a lot more vocal about it than she’s going to be.
You see, I’m not Jack Diamond, you squeaky little mouse. He was content to just defeat you. He simply came in, did his thing, and defeated you. I’m not even Ashleigh Grimes… (under his breath) thank the gods…. It doesn’t matter to me what state of mind you’re in when Vendetta rolls around. Whether you’re drunk, sober, or somewhere in between, I don’t care. You see, you took something from me at City of Sin, something I can never get back. Your lack of professionalism took the luster off of our Tag Team Championship victory. Yeah, I may sound like a broken record, but no matter whatever else I may do here in NGW, my first championship victory should have been definitive, but thanks to you, there will ALWAYS be those tongue-wagging asshats, both in the industry and behind a million keyboards, that will have a reason to take a shit on it. That in and of itself would be more than enough motivation to rip your scrawny little ass to shreds.
And you know something? There wouldn’t be a single soul in existence that would blame me if i did. You’re not significant, Kenzie. You think you are, but the truth of the matter is that you’re little more than just a little girl that’s mad at the world. You’re merely a footnote, not only in the history of the Five LAkes Championship, but in the history of NGW itself. And after our match in New Orleans, the name Kenzie Rydell is going to be nothing more than the answer to a whole slew of trivia questions…
He narrows his eyes, looking up to the sky as he strokes his chin.
Damon: Who thought she was big enough and bad enough to believe she could stand alongside the Angelz of Destruction? Answer: Kenzie Rydell
Who wasted TWO championship opportunities at City of Sin by pulling a Jeff Hardy and showing up blitzed to the gills? Answer: Kenzie Rydell
Who is the person that Damon Graves OBLITERATED at Vendetta on August 13th in New Orleans, Louisiana, thus ending their NGW career?
This time, there’s a slightly longer pause as he stares intently into the lens, his upper lip curling into a hateful scowl.
Damon: Answer: Kenzie fucking Rydell.
His cell phone buzzes in his pocket. He pauses to read the text message on the screen, smirking before putting his phone away. The smirk quickly fades back into the twisted scowl from before.
Damon: I know, Kenzie. By now, you’re probably sick and tired of all of the drunk jokes that everyone’s been cracking at your expense, but to be honest, I really don’t give a shit about your feelings. The only thing I care about is putting my foot up your ass. And true, it won’t do a damn thing to change what happened at City of Sin, but it’ll sure as hell put a smile on my face to see you lying in a crumpled heap on the canvas. In the meantime, ball up your little fists and act like you’re so much tougher than you really are, because after what I saw in that match you had with Jack Diamond, you’re nowhere near on my level, little girl. So what if you weren’t the one that ended up pounding on the mat in submission? The fact of the matter is that you didn’t seem to want to win badly enough to scrape what was left of your dignity off of the arena floor to break up the submission on Kimo, so you still lost. Accept it and move the fuck on with your life, just like Aurora and I did after that tag team loss to Gavin and Ashleigh. You don’t see Aurora bitching about how she wasn’t the one that was pinned.
He rolls his eyes.
Damon: I’m not going to deny the fact that this will be the biggest match I’ve been involved in since Levi Daughterty skipped town, but if you think about it, the same goes for you. You and I have never tangled before, so there’s no telling what’s going to happen once the bell rings. There’s just one little problem with what you said. Words are nothing more than noise. What really matters is what goes on inside that ring. Long before I ever met Aurora, I more than held my own in the ring. But I don’t go around, bragging about what happens outside of NGW, because none of that shit matters. Joey Miles? Valentina, whatever the hell her name is? Don’t know ’em; don’t really want to. They’re not on the NGW, so as far as I’m concerned, your record against them means about as much as my reputation in the indies means to you. In the end, the only thing that matters is that one half of the NGW Tag Team Champions is going against a former Five Lakes Champion. And yes, that is your ONLY claim to fame as far as NGW is concerned. Seven months in this company, and that’s all you can say you have? That’s why you call yourself one of the most accomplished wrestlers in NGW? Even that ONE single achievement took you well over two months to get. Get back to me when you’ve gone without being pinned as long as Ashleigh Grimes has, and then maybe I’ll give a flying fuck. Oh wait… you’ll never be able to match her, because she’s undefeated.
He chuckles as he turns around, walking back toward the condo tower as the rooftop lights shine. It’s not enough light to be of any significance to anyone other than aircraft pilots and ships’ captains. In fact, it’s the glow of the lights surrounding the complex’s pool that guides him home.
Damon: Maybe I am an overrated asshole. Hell, I’ll even give you the asshole part. At least I own that fact. I’ve never once pretended to be anything other than that. For that matter, you can chuck all the insults you want at me; I really don’t care. I’m not the one standing around throwing a tantrum like a spoiled brat whose daddy just confiscated her credit card. Your little outburst; the potshots you’re taking at me in an attempt to rile me up; they’re just rolling off my shoulder like insignificant specks of dust. Just remember what happens when you back an animal into a corner. Predator or prey, when pushed comes to shove, that animal is going to do whatever it takes to get out of that corner, and more often than not, that usually ends up with that animal throwing caution to the wind and fighting out of that corner like their life depended on it. And if you’re the one backing me into that corner, don’t think for one second that I won’t do everything in my power to tear a hole right through you.
So go ahead and sit there like a pigeon on a power cable, looking for just the right person to shit on. Go ahead and wonder what the hell a goddess like Aurora sees in a shithead like me. Frankly, I wonder about that sometimes, myself. But that’s beside the point. Every time she posts a picture of me on Twitter, she’s showing the world that she sees something of value in me, and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world sees it, too. And if I have to make an example out of you in order to do it, then that’s fine by me. I don’t need a crutch, Kenzie. I don’t need anything reminding me why I’m here; I make my own damn motivation. And by the way, I’d rather be “arm candy” to Aurora Knight than the butt of everybody’s jokes.
He looks into the camera one last time as he reaches the bottom of the steps that lead from the beach to the swimming pool’s back gate. The camera follows him up the stairs until he reaches the back gate, throwing up a middle finger in the air before stepping through.
With that, the scene fades to black.
Scene opens with a shot of the exterior of the shop where Damon Graves and Aurora Knight have set up their new business, which finally has signage installed, showing the establishment to be, what else, a tattoo parlor named Rebel Ink. A semi is parked out front and there is a steady stream of men unloading the trailer, hauling out various pieces of furniture. Damon is standing on the sidewalk, supervising.
Damon: Is that the last of it?
Mover: Yes, sir.
Damon goes over and looks in the back of the trailer. He smiles, nods his head, and turns to walk into the shop. Inside, we see a flurry of activity. Damon’s mentors from Hard Luck Tattoos, Joey and Oscar, are prepping workstations that have already been installed. His Tag Team partner and girlfriend, Aurora Knight is on a stepladder, hanging up framed collections of flash art. Even the Perrys are pitching in; Alicia is at the receptionist’s desk, interviewing potential employees, while Jason is helping move some of the heavier equipment. After a few minutes, most of the major work is done. Damon signs some paperwork and hands a check over to one of the movers. After that, he walks over to the desk and reaches under the counter to retrieve an item covered in paper. He nods to Alicia, who promptly stands up and walks towards the front door. Damon walks over to Aurora, who has just stepped down from the stepladder.
Damon: Everything looking good, Harley?
Aurora: Looks that way to me…
Damon: Great. Listen, we have one last piece to deal with.
He hands the package to Aurora. While she opens it up, everyone else in the shop has gathered around. Aurora’s eyes go wide and her mouth drops open when she sees what was inside the plain brown wrapper. We go to a shot over her shoulder, where we see this:
Aurora: A-are you serious? Damon, I swear if this is a joke, then so help me….
Damon: No, Harley, it isn’t. This is as real as it gets….
Damon reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring box, which he holds up after going down to one knee. Aurora smiles, clenching her hands together in front of her chest.
Aurora: About time you got my ring back from the engraver….
Damon chuckles as he opens up the ring box. Almost immediately, Aurora’s eyes begin to water up as she recognizes the ring being presented to her.
Aurora: Oh my god… Damon, is that..? Where did you get my mother’s engagement ring?!?
Voice: I gave it to him, dear…
Aurora whips her head around to see her father standing behind her. She continues to stand there, her mouth hanging open in shock.
Aurora: Daddy?
Ian: Yes, Rory. I know I’ve been a stubborn ass these last few years, but thanks to that young man over there….
Before Ian can even finish his sentence, Aurora turns back to Damon, then spins on her heel to fling herself at her father, and the two of them lock into a tight embrace. Completely overwhelmed with emotion, she buries her face into her father’s neck and starts crying.
Ian: So, Aurora, can you forgive me for being a mule-headed old fool these past four years?
Aurora squeezes him tighter.
Aurora: (muffled) Only if you forgive ME…
From behind the two of them, we can hear Damon clearing his throat. Ian pulls back, staring at his daughter as he nods toward Damon.
Ian: Well, what are you standing here gawking at me for? There’s a man down on one knee waiting for you over there, and I think he’s got something to say!
Ian lets his daughter go so that she can pay attention to her suitor. With her hands nervously covering her mouth, she stands in front of Damon, who takes a moment to swallow the lump in his throat before he speaks.
Damon: Aurora Diamond Quinn, will you marry me?
For a moment, she giggles at the mention of her maiden name, then looks around to see everyone in the room staring at them as she bites her lower lip. With her father nodding his head in approval, she then looks at Damon and flashes the mother of all smiles.
Aurora: This is a little soon, and I know people are going to look at me like I’m crazy, but screw it! YES!!! Of course I will!
Damon pulls the ruby and diamond ring from the box and slips it onto the ring finger of her left hand. Once he’s done this, Aurora yanks him up to his feet and passionately locks lips with her now fiancé. Everyone in the room erupts into applause, except the Perrys, who hug each other closely as they look on.
Alicia: (sighs) Brings back memories, doesn’t it?
Jason: Yeah, but Aurora’s dad doesn’t look like he wants to bury a machete between Damon’s eyes.
Alicia: Oh, you. That was just his way to see what kind of man you were. He’s warmed up to you a lot since then…
Jason: Yeah.. now he just aims for non-vital organs…
Alicia playfully punches his massive arm. From off-screen, we can hear bottles popping, and when we pan around, Joey and Oscar have opened some bottles of sparkling cider. As Joey hands a pair of glasses to the newly-engaged couple, Aurora cocks her head to the side, eyeing the sparkling beverage curiously.
Aurora: What, no champagne?
Damon: Some of us still have to drive… besides, I have a couple of bottles of the good stuff chilling back at home…
The smile never leaving her face, she shakes her head.
Aurora: You had this all planned out, didn’t you?
Damon: I had help….
He nods in Alicia’s direction as the legendary former champion winks back at him. Joey comes around with glasses for Alicia and Jason as they join the celebration. Jason approaches Damon, slapping him on the shoulder in a congratulatory manner.
Jason: Well kid, now comes the fun part… think you can handle it?
Damon: As long as she doesn’t go Bridezilla on me, I think I’ll be fine….
Damon winks at his new bride-to-be, who smirks at him as the scene cuts away.
Tuesday, August 9th, 2016
Scene opens up on the shoreline outside the condo complex where Damon and Aurora reside, where the cameras catch Damon Graves sitting barefoot and shirtless on the sand, dressed in jeans with his hands draped over his knees. He stares out across the ocean, a cold expression on his face as his eyes narrow into a squint. It’s unsure as to why he’s doing this, as it’s fairly late at night; none of the lights from across the harbor are anywhere near bright enough to cause this. Perhaps it’s just the mood he’s in?
Damon: You’d think that living this close to the beach, the sound of the waves would be enough to calm anyone down. And to be honest, I should be on top of the world right now. I’m one half of the NGW Tag Team Champions, engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world, and I’m just days away from launching my own business, doing the only thing I love as much as wrestling.
But what’s missing? Why can’t I just sit back and enjoy the life I live outside the squared circle?
Damon turns toward the camera, the cold look in his eyes fading into a dagger-like stare as his green eyes burn a hole into the lens.
Damon: Simple… it’s because the person I’m facing at Vendetta is the same person behind the fact that so far, the titles my fiancée and I carry have about the same level of respect as a park restroom. But that’s a reputation that I’m about to change, starting right fucking now!
Damon stands up, dusting the sand off of his jeans before stuffing his hands into his pockets. He begins to walk along the water’s edge, the water running over his feet as his toes sink into the wet sand.
Damon: Kenzie Rydell… former Five Lakes Champion, and the little brat that likes to talk about egos, when hers is exponentially bigger than mine could ever be.
He sneers as his opponent’s name flows from his mouth, as if he can’t even bear to say it without getting angry. With a low growl in his voice, he continues.
Damon: You know, why Aurora tolerates your existence, I’ll never understand. Then again, compared to me, she’s got all the patience in the world. Me? My tolerance for bullshit got used up the moment you decided to get shitfaced at City of Sin.
Ever since that day, every time I hear anyone mention your name, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth; you know, kind of like the one I’m sure you had the morning after your little drunken bender, only with less vomit. I come out and do my part, hyping this match and getting the fans anxious to tune in to Vendetta. By the way, Devlin, you’re welcome.
He scoffs, his nostrils flaring as the air pushes out through his nose.
Damon: But you, Rydell? It took you forever and a fucking day to utter even one peep about this match. It isn’t as if you’ve fallen off the face of the earth, either; as of a couple of days ago, you were posting on Twitter. Nothing about our match, but still, it proves that you were alive…. That is, unless we’ve been invaded by pod people and you’ve been replaced by a clone. If that was the case, I would have hoped that this version of Kenzie Rydell had grown a fucking spine. Too bad for all of us, that isn’t the case.
If you’re afraid, grow up and own up to it. Admitting to fearing something doesn’t make you any less of a person. In your case, that isn’t humanly possible. You can deny being scared of me, but the facts don’t lie. You had TWO matches at City of Sin, but which one did you skip out on? You guessed it, you pussed out of the match I was involved in. Apparently, you thought that you would have an easier time dealing with Ashleigh. And you were right; in that shriveled raisin she calls a heart, she found a sliver of pity and spared you a humiliating beating and just rolled your drunken ass up. At Vendetta, I’ll be leaving my heart back in the dressing room, because the closer we get to bell time, the more reason you’ll have to fear me. As the seconds tick away, the anger inside keeps building. And thanks to the training I’ve been receiving, I’m going to focus that anger into a weapon, a scalpel to dissect you like a frog in a high school biology class.
Damon takes a step into the sand, finding a small rock buried beneath a layer of wet sand. As it digs into the sole of his foot, he pulls it back, then digs through the muck to pull out the offending pebble. He sneers, then flings it out into the ocean.
Damon: It’s true… Aurora doesn’t need me to stand out in the crowd. Look at her; she’s doing fine as she is. But I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to use that as a means of bruising my ego. Your little cheap shots? The jabs at the fact that my matches aren’t as high-profile as hers have been; it’s not going to work, Kenz. And think about it… it wasn’t Aurora that pinned Avery Miles to win the tag team titles that night… it was ME! So yeah, I’m gonna be a lot more vocal about it than she’s going to be.
You see, I’m not Jack Diamond, you squeaky little mouse. He was content to just defeat you. He simply came in, did his thing, and defeated you. I’m not even Ashleigh Grimes… (under his breath) thank the gods…. It doesn’t matter to me what state of mind you’re in when Vendetta rolls around. Whether you’re drunk, sober, or somewhere in between, I don’t care. You see, you took something from me at City of Sin, something I can never get back. Your lack of professionalism took the luster off of our Tag Team Championship victory. Yeah, I may sound like a broken record, but no matter whatever else I may do here in NGW, my first championship victory should have been definitive, but thanks to you, there will ALWAYS be those tongue-wagging asshats, both in the industry and behind a million keyboards, that will have a reason to take a shit on it. That in and of itself would be more than enough motivation to rip your scrawny little ass to shreds.
And you know something? There wouldn’t be a single soul in existence that would blame me if i did. You’re not significant, Kenzie. You think you are, but the truth of the matter is that you’re little more than just a little girl that’s mad at the world. You’re merely a footnote, not only in the history of the Five LAkes Championship, but in the history of NGW itself. And after our match in New Orleans, the name Kenzie Rydell is going to be nothing more than the answer to a whole slew of trivia questions…
He narrows his eyes, looking up to the sky as he strokes his chin.
Damon: Who thought she was big enough and bad enough to believe she could stand alongside the Angelz of Destruction? Answer: Kenzie Rydell
Who wasted TWO championship opportunities at City of Sin by pulling a Jeff Hardy and showing up blitzed to the gills? Answer: Kenzie Rydell
Who is the person that Damon Graves OBLITERATED at Vendetta on August 13th in New Orleans, Louisiana, thus ending their NGW career?
This time, there’s a slightly longer pause as he stares intently into the lens, his upper lip curling into a hateful scowl.
Damon: Answer: Kenzie fucking Rydell.
His cell phone buzzes in his pocket. He pauses to read the text message on the screen, smirking before putting his phone away. The smirk quickly fades back into the twisted scowl from before.
Damon: I know, Kenzie. By now, you’re probably sick and tired of all of the drunk jokes that everyone’s been cracking at your expense, but to be honest, I really don’t give a shit about your feelings. The only thing I care about is putting my foot up your ass. And true, it won’t do a damn thing to change what happened at City of Sin, but it’ll sure as hell put a smile on my face to see you lying in a crumpled heap on the canvas. In the meantime, ball up your little fists and act like you’re so much tougher than you really are, because after what I saw in that match you had with Jack Diamond, you’re nowhere near on my level, little girl. So what if you weren’t the one that ended up pounding on the mat in submission? The fact of the matter is that you didn’t seem to want to win badly enough to scrape what was left of your dignity off of the arena floor to break up the submission on Kimo, so you still lost. Accept it and move the fuck on with your life, just like Aurora and I did after that tag team loss to Gavin and Ashleigh. You don’t see Aurora bitching about how she wasn’t the one that was pinned.
He rolls his eyes.
Damon: I’m not going to deny the fact that this will be the biggest match I’ve been involved in since Levi Daughterty skipped town, but if you think about it, the same goes for you. You and I have never tangled before, so there’s no telling what’s going to happen once the bell rings. There’s just one little problem with what you said. Words are nothing more than noise. What really matters is what goes on inside that ring. Long before I ever met Aurora, I more than held my own in the ring. But I don’t go around, bragging about what happens outside of NGW, because none of that shit matters. Joey Miles? Valentina, whatever the hell her name is? Don’t know ’em; don’t really want to. They’re not on the NGW, so as far as I’m concerned, your record against them means about as much as my reputation in the indies means to you. In the end, the only thing that matters is that one half of the NGW Tag Team Champions is going against a former Five Lakes Champion. And yes, that is your ONLY claim to fame as far as NGW is concerned. Seven months in this company, and that’s all you can say you have? That’s why you call yourself one of the most accomplished wrestlers in NGW? Even that ONE single achievement took you well over two months to get. Get back to me when you’ve gone without being pinned as long as Ashleigh Grimes has, and then maybe I’ll give a flying fuck. Oh wait… you’ll never be able to match her, because she’s undefeated.
He chuckles as he turns around, walking back toward the condo tower as the rooftop lights shine. It’s not enough light to be of any significance to anyone other than aircraft pilots and ships’ captains. In fact, it’s the glow of the lights surrounding the complex’s pool that guides him home.
Damon: Maybe I am an overrated asshole. Hell, I’ll even give you the asshole part. At least I own that fact. I’ve never once pretended to be anything other than that. For that matter, you can chuck all the insults you want at me; I really don’t care. I’m not the one standing around throwing a tantrum like a spoiled brat whose daddy just confiscated her credit card. Your little outburst; the potshots you’re taking at me in an attempt to rile me up; they’re just rolling off my shoulder like insignificant specks of dust. Just remember what happens when you back an animal into a corner. Predator or prey, when pushed comes to shove, that animal is going to do whatever it takes to get out of that corner, and more often than not, that usually ends up with that animal throwing caution to the wind and fighting out of that corner like their life depended on it. And if you’re the one backing me into that corner, don’t think for one second that I won’t do everything in my power to tear a hole right through you.
So go ahead and sit there like a pigeon on a power cable, looking for just the right person to shit on. Go ahead and wonder what the hell a goddess like Aurora sees in a shithead like me. Frankly, I wonder about that sometimes, myself. But that’s beside the point. Every time she posts a picture of me on Twitter, she’s showing the world that she sees something of value in me, and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world sees it, too. And if I have to make an example out of you in order to do it, then that’s fine by me. I don’t need a crutch, Kenzie. I don’t need anything reminding me why I’m here; I make my own damn motivation. And by the way, I’d rather be “arm candy” to Aurora Knight than the butt of everybody’s jokes.
He looks into the camera one last time as he reaches the bottom of the steps that lead from the beach to the swimming pool’s back gate. The camera follows him up the stairs until he reaches the back gate, throwing up a middle finger in the air before stepping through.
With that, the scene fades to black.