Post by Jaice Wilds on Apr 5, 2020 22:16:37 GMT -5
Wilds walks into the front room, a set of boxes in hand. He sets them against a wall with others as his adopted brother walks in with a few more.
Reggie Feltzer:
Are you sure this is what you want, man? I mean, I know he got a little harsh, but I'm sure if you would have called the guy...
Wilds shakes his head, looking around. It wasn't the compound, but it was going to be home for the foreseeable future.
Jaice Wilds:
Naw, man. He's right. I have to move on for my own sake.
Reggie shakes his head, mildly confused.
Reggie Feltzer:
That… that's not what he said, though...
Jaice chuckles, nodding. He places a hand on his brother's shoulder, sighing.
Jaice Wilds:
It's not what the man said, bro. It's what he said.
Wilds starts towards the door, ready to unpack more boxes. Reggie seems even more confused, following after.
Reggie Feltzer:
What the hell are you talking about? What he said? Everyone saw it broadcast live.
Jaice grabs up a pair of boxes, stacking them up on the tailgate of his brother's pickup. He turns, a look of mild irritation on his face.
Jaice Wilds:
Exactly. Everyone saw a man speaking to a camera. And they heard the words coming from his lips. But that part was for show; I know him better than that. I heard the meaning.
Reggie grabs a few boxes from the truck, trying to decipher Wilds' train of thought. He follows his little brother into the house, placing the boxes with the others along the living room wall.
Reggie Feltzer:
So, let me get this straight. Kalis shows up- with no forewarning to you, by the way- makes a bunch of legal threats on live television... and he didn't mean what he said? I'm confused.
Jaice shakes his head, walking into the kitchen. He returns with a pair of beers, tossing one to Reggie. They crack open their cold ones, Wilds taking a swig before looking up and explaining.
Jaice Wilds:
That man has been a mentor, a brother to me, for the better part of a decade. Took me under his wing, taught me how to not only realize my true potential, but to harness it. He fought for me in ways that no-one else would. Now, you're telling me the man who gave me the world is going to cower behind a camera lens and issue vague threats?? No, no; this was a means to get my ego to shut up and listen. He was getting my attention so he could tell me what he's been trying to tell me for months.
Reggie Feltzer:
O...kay… I'll bite. What message has he been trying to tell you?
Jaice grins, taking a swig of his beer as Reggie looks on intently.
-----------------------------------------
The following is a letter addressed to Aaron Blaze, intercepted and published to the Alpha Pro Wrestling website.
The names and faces change. The colors and titles change. But one thing stays constant- me.
I've been saying this many times over the last year or so; but I've been forgetting the key to consistency in this ever-changing world. In my efforts to adapt, to evolve with the business; I've been holding tightly to a part of my past. It's a part of my history that made me who I am, which makes it difficult to let go of.
But a friend recently gave me the peace of mind to move forward. He told me, in not so many words, that if I am ever truly going to make a name for myself; if I'm ever going to reach my full potential, I have to stop living by a standard formed ages ago and start building on what I have yet to accomplish. And to do that, I have to allow myself the strength to release my bonds.
Aaron Blaze. Partner or protege of a constant thorn in my side. I was once much like you: an upstart with something to prove. An eager soul, ready and willing to learn the ropes from a seasoned veteran with an eye for talent. And you're wise to lean on someone with experience to guide you through your early stages. You'll learn quite a bit; and in a more efficient manner.
However, one should take caution when they've been offered a place beneath a more experienced teacher. When I was made a General, I gained a tutor who saw my natural talent and helped me to lean into my strengths. A man who encouraged me not to change my approach, but rather to refine it and make it all the more dangerous.
But your tutor…
Let's call a spade a spade here. Jason Ryan has caught me off-guard more than once now. And for me to write him off entirely would be petty and juvenile. That said; Jason still refuses to face me one-on-one. And why would that be, Aaron? Answer this; if you've defeated someone multiple times, why avoid them? Most men of his ego and bravado would gladly take what seems like an easy notch in their win column.
You see, Blaze; that's when the little bit of wisdom he has sets in. Every time he's toppled me, it has been off the distraction of a third party. Each victory he has acquired at my expense has been due in part by another party setting him up, only to be robbed of their own win by his nefariousness. What you learn under a man like that, my dear boy, is that cheap tactics and dirty tricks are the best ways to ensure victory. And to an extent, that's clearly a decent way to stay mediocre.
But here's the stiff. Cheap victories will only get you so far in this business. I'm sure you have dreams of one day climbing the mountain and claiming a World Championship of your own. Everyone does; it's why we join any given company. I learned from a former World Champion; one who taught me that patience, dedication and honing my craft will take me farther than any words will. Yes; it's entirely important to be heard in a business where one voice is oft lost amongst the crowd. However, not having the capability of backing your word begins to mute that voice.
Aaron, I am hoping against hope that you are smart enough to work for this. I'm desperately wishing that your time with a less than fully apt tutor hasn't already made you complacent in your attitude towards our upcoming bout. As a man who has finally accepted his need for evolution, I'll be bringing everything I've learned over the years and hitting you with full force. Assuming you've learned anything worthwhile, you may just survive the inevitable onslaught that is our match. However; the slightest miscalculation on your part will end with a devastating loss.
So what have you learned, Blaze? What has the Scourge actually imparted to you in your abbreviated time together? Bring your absolute best with you this week, so that you can be tested by the brightest flame this business can afford. And when the dust settles, we will see whether you're prepared for what this company has in store… or if you're simply another sheep following an inept master.
-----------------------------------------
Reggie sits in one chair, scratching his head. Wilds takes a swig of Jack, standing to face the wall across from the television. He rifles through the boxes, finding a long cylindrical container and removing the contents. He grabs a step ladder, hammer and nails as he begins to decorate the room.
Reggie Feltzer:
Let me see if I get this straight. He shows up, unannounced, to a show. Gets on camera while with his sister-in-law. Essentially drops a cease-and-desist order and threatens your life… And it's all a means to push your supposed "evolution". That's what you're taking from all this.
Wilds chuckles, smacking the hammer against the first nail. He nods, pulling the second from a rolled sleeve. A slight sigh, he starts the second nail.
Jaice Wilds:
Think about it, Reg. What kind of coward hides behind empty threats and a screen when he knows damn well the level of respect I hold for him? And furthermore, the man who taught me how to embrace death is going to wave an Eagle in my face? Seems a bit redundant to me.
Reggie stands, walking up to his brother. He holds the opposite end of the scroll-like object as Wilds continues to nail the support lines into the wall. Reggie breathes in deeply, approaching his next words with caution.
Reggie Feltzer:
But… what if it's not? What if he meant every word he said? What if- and please, please just go with me on this- what if he said what he meant to say and… you're wrong?
Wilds stops, the smile slowly fading from his face. A few moments pass as he steps down from the ladder, grabbing his fifth of Jack. A swig or two, he looks up to his brother, cautious.
Jaice Wilds:
For almost six years, I was an afterthought. For a little over half a decade, I was filler; a fun little attraction to appease the masses while the main event stars prepared to take the show.
But one man. One. Saw me. When everyone else looked past me, he stared straight at me. And he saw something worth taking a chance on. He took me under his wing. Taught me how to be better than myself. Showed me how to hone my abilities and truly unleash the primal animal within myself. And then stood by my side as I took those lessons and began to achieve greatness.
Wilds takes another swig of Jack, Reggie furrowing his brow. Jaice starts climbing the ladder again, holding the hammer. He takes a deep breath, starting in on the support lines again.
Jaice Wilds:
Everything I have done for the past seven years is based off one person's belief in me. In how he made me see myself. In the way that group shaped me to be a better athlete. So tell me, Reggie. If the words he spoke are what he was really saying, then what does that mean for my career? What does that mean for myself as a competitor?? If all of it was based on my time in the Alliance under his banner… that means either I have to be right… or the last seven years of my life, my career, have been a lie. So tell me, bro: have all my accolades, all my title reigns, all my accomplishments been a lie??
Or am I simply hearing the words of a man who wants me to let the past go, so I can truly evolve the way I need to?
Reggie sighs, looking sympathetically to his brother. Wilds is clearly holding back a tear, but looks back up to the final strand hanging from the scroll. He grabs it up, nailing the last strand into the wall and stepping down.
Reggie Feltzer:
So you're choosing to evolve. Better than failing, I guess.
Reggie steps away from the scroll, Wilds stepping up and grabbing a string from the bottom. He pulls it, the scroll unreeling to show Wilds in a new light.
Reggie Feltzer:
Oh, this next chapter looks fun...
Reggie Feltzer:
Are you sure this is what you want, man? I mean, I know he got a little harsh, but I'm sure if you would have called the guy...
Wilds shakes his head, looking around. It wasn't the compound, but it was going to be home for the foreseeable future.
Jaice Wilds:
Naw, man. He's right. I have to move on for my own sake.
Reggie shakes his head, mildly confused.
Reggie Feltzer:
That… that's not what he said, though...
Jaice chuckles, nodding. He places a hand on his brother's shoulder, sighing.
Jaice Wilds:
It's not what the man said, bro. It's what he said.
Wilds starts towards the door, ready to unpack more boxes. Reggie seems even more confused, following after.
Reggie Feltzer:
What the hell are you talking about? What he said? Everyone saw it broadcast live.
Jaice grabs up a pair of boxes, stacking them up on the tailgate of his brother's pickup. He turns, a look of mild irritation on his face.
Jaice Wilds:
Exactly. Everyone saw a man speaking to a camera. And they heard the words coming from his lips. But that part was for show; I know him better than that. I heard the meaning.
Reggie grabs a few boxes from the truck, trying to decipher Wilds' train of thought. He follows his little brother into the house, placing the boxes with the others along the living room wall.
Reggie Feltzer:
So, let me get this straight. Kalis shows up- with no forewarning to you, by the way- makes a bunch of legal threats on live television... and he didn't mean what he said? I'm confused.
Jaice shakes his head, walking into the kitchen. He returns with a pair of beers, tossing one to Reggie. They crack open their cold ones, Wilds taking a swig before looking up and explaining.
Jaice Wilds:
That man has been a mentor, a brother to me, for the better part of a decade. Took me under his wing, taught me how to not only realize my true potential, but to harness it. He fought for me in ways that no-one else would. Now, you're telling me the man who gave me the world is going to cower behind a camera lens and issue vague threats?? No, no; this was a means to get my ego to shut up and listen. He was getting my attention so he could tell me what he's been trying to tell me for months.
Reggie Feltzer:
O...kay… I'll bite. What message has he been trying to tell you?
Jaice grins, taking a swig of his beer as Reggie looks on intently.
-----------------------------------------
The following is a letter addressed to Aaron Blaze, intercepted and published to the Alpha Pro Wrestling website.
The names and faces change. The colors and titles change. But one thing stays constant- me.
I've been saying this many times over the last year or so; but I've been forgetting the key to consistency in this ever-changing world. In my efforts to adapt, to evolve with the business; I've been holding tightly to a part of my past. It's a part of my history that made me who I am, which makes it difficult to let go of.
But a friend recently gave me the peace of mind to move forward. He told me, in not so many words, that if I am ever truly going to make a name for myself; if I'm ever going to reach my full potential, I have to stop living by a standard formed ages ago and start building on what I have yet to accomplish. And to do that, I have to allow myself the strength to release my bonds.
Aaron Blaze. Partner or protege of a constant thorn in my side. I was once much like you: an upstart with something to prove. An eager soul, ready and willing to learn the ropes from a seasoned veteran with an eye for talent. And you're wise to lean on someone with experience to guide you through your early stages. You'll learn quite a bit; and in a more efficient manner.
However, one should take caution when they've been offered a place beneath a more experienced teacher. When I was made a General, I gained a tutor who saw my natural talent and helped me to lean into my strengths. A man who encouraged me not to change my approach, but rather to refine it and make it all the more dangerous.
But your tutor…
Let's call a spade a spade here. Jason Ryan has caught me off-guard more than once now. And for me to write him off entirely would be petty and juvenile. That said; Jason still refuses to face me one-on-one. And why would that be, Aaron? Answer this; if you've defeated someone multiple times, why avoid them? Most men of his ego and bravado would gladly take what seems like an easy notch in their win column.
You see, Blaze; that's when the little bit of wisdom he has sets in. Every time he's toppled me, it has been off the distraction of a third party. Each victory he has acquired at my expense has been due in part by another party setting him up, only to be robbed of their own win by his nefariousness. What you learn under a man like that, my dear boy, is that cheap tactics and dirty tricks are the best ways to ensure victory. And to an extent, that's clearly a decent way to stay mediocre.
But here's the stiff. Cheap victories will only get you so far in this business. I'm sure you have dreams of one day climbing the mountain and claiming a World Championship of your own. Everyone does; it's why we join any given company. I learned from a former World Champion; one who taught me that patience, dedication and honing my craft will take me farther than any words will. Yes; it's entirely important to be heard in a business where one voice is oft lost amongst the crowd. However, not having the capability of backing your word begins to mute that voice.
Aaron, I am hoping against hope that you are smart enough to work for this. I'm desperately wishing that your time with a less than fully apt tutor hasn't already made you complacent in your attitude towards our upcoming bout. As a man who has finally accepted his need for evolution, I'll be bringing everything I've learned over the years and hitting you with full force. Assuming you've learned anything worthwhile, you may just survive the inevitable onslaught that is our match. However; the slightest miscalculation on your part will end with a devastating loss.
So what have you learned, Blaze? What has the Scourge actually imparted to you in your abbreviated time together? Bring your absolute best with you this week, so that you can be tested by the brightest flame this business can afford. And when the dust settles, we will see whether you're prepared for what this company has in store… or if you're simply another sheep following an inept master.
-----------------------------------------
Reggie sits in one chair, scratching his head. Wilds takes a swig of Jack, standing to face the wall across from the television. He rifles through the boxes, finding a long cylindrical container and removing the contents. He grabs a step ladder, hammer and nails as he begins to decorate the room.
Reggie Feltzer:
Let me see if I get this straight. He shows up, unannounced, to a show. Gets on camera while with his sister-in-law. Essentially drops a cease-and-desist order and threatens your life… And it's all a means to push your supposed "evolution". That's what you're taking from all this.
Wilds chuckles, smacking the hammer against the first nail. He nods, pulling the second from a rolled sleeve. A slight sigh, he starts the second nail.
Jaice Wilds:
Think about it, Reg. What kind of coward hides behind empty threats and a screen when he knows damn well the level of respect I hold for him? And furthermore, the man who taught me how to embrace death is going to wave an Eagle in my face? Seems a bit redundant to me.
Reggie stands, walking up to his brother. He holds the opposite end of the scroll-like object as Wilds continues to nail the support lines into the wall. Reggie breathes in deeply, approaching his next words with caution.
Reggie Feltzer:
But… what if it's not? What if he meant every word he said? What if- and please, please just go with me on this- what if he said what he meant to say and… you're wrong?
Wilds stops, the smile slowly fading from his face. A few moments pass as he steps down from the ladder, grabbing his fifth of Jack. A swig or two, he looks up to his brother, cautious.
Jaice Wilds:
For almost six years, I was an afterthought. For a little over half a decade, I was filler; a fun little attraction to appease the masses while the main event stars prepared to take the show.
But one man. One. Saw me. When everyone else looked past me, he stared straight at me. And he saw something worth taking a chance on. He took me under his wing. Taught me how to be better than myself. Showed me how to hone my abilities and truly unleash the primal animal within myself. And then stood by my side as I took those lessons and began to achieve greatness.
Wilds takes another swig of Jack, Reggie furrowing his brow. Jaice starts climbing the ladder again, holding the hammer. He takes a deep breath, starting in on the support lines again.
Jaice Wilds:
Everything I have done for the past seven years is based off one person's belief in me. In how he made me see myself. In the way that group shaped me to be a better athlete. So tell me, Reggie. If the words he spoke are what he was really saying, then what does that mean for my career? What does that mean for myself as a competitor?? If all of it was based on my time in the Alliance under his banner… that means either I have to be right… or the last seven years of my life, my career, have been a lie. So tell me, bro: have all my accolades, all my title reigns, all my accomplishments been a lie??
Or am I simply hearing the words of a man who wants me to let the past go, so I can truly evolve the way I need to?
Reggie sighs, looking sympathetically to his brother. Wilds is clearly holding back a tear, but looks back up to the final strand hanging from the scroll. He grabs it up, nailing the last strand into the wall and stepping down.
Reggie Feltzer:
So you're choosing to evolve. Better than failing, I guess.
Reggie steps away from the scroll, Wilds stepping up and grabbing a string from the bottom. He pulls it, the scroll unreeling to show Wilds in a new light.
Reggie Feltzer:
Oh, this next chapter looks fun...
