Post by Teo Blaze on Nov 25, 2018 23:25:00 GMT -5
“In a world gripped by fear and uncertainty, in a reality desperately in need of trust and understanding...it’s good to know there are a few constants.”
The voice fills a void as the viewer is greeted by a lack of anything. No visuals, no fancy logos... just a blank screen.
Voiceover: Birds fly, fish swim...and Kennedy Matthews is a scum-sucking coward.
The screen is suddenly consumed by a loud crash of static, screeching with the sound of a technical error for a brief moment before slamming back to a normal broadcast, where the smiling face of the Television Champion is looking directly at the viewer, his eyes obscured slightly by the red lenses that have become synonymous with his expression.
Teo Blaze: But I don’t have to tell you all that. Anyone with eyes knows by now.
Teo turns and begins walking towards the scene behind him. At first glance, it appears relatively lavish, but small details begin to make themselves known the more the scene comes into focus. There is a plywood bookshelf with a collection of volumes that aren’t actually real, instead carved from a single block of wood. There is a bearskin rug on the ground, but a rather prominent pricetag proudly displays a half-off sticker, and a pair of comical glass eyes make it look like it’s constantly surprised.
But the one thing that is not in any way imitation, the crowning achievement of the scene sits on the mantle. The WCF Television Championship, surrounded by 3 multicolored stones.
Teo Blaze: Now there are those that are wondering why I took it upon myself to help the hapless DW Wolf last week when he was caught in the throes of a two on one assault by Kennedy Matthews and her wannabe groupie Scott Slayer. Why at that moment did Teo Blaze choose to insert himself into another wrestler’s business? Hadn’t he proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was Kennedy Matthews’s superior? By beating her not once, but twice on Slam, and going on to defend his championship AND gain another infinity stone...hadn’t he shown the world that he had moved past that self-obsessed, circus sideshow reject who couldn’t wrestle her way out of a paper bag if she had a pair of scissors?
Teo plops himself down on a threadbare comforter, eliciting a small cloud of dust as he does so, chuckling at the question.
Teo Blaze: Why yes, yes I did. You see, the simple fact is that by this point, after three matches with five finishes, I have absolutely nothing left to prove against Kennedy Matthews. That belt on the mantle shows the world that not only am I superior to her in the ring, but the ratings are all it takes to show exactly what people think of her out of it. After all, which one of us was in the main event last week?
Teo smiles and shakes his head, as if thinking of the punchline to a long-forgotten joke… but suddenly and without warning his head snaps up, the look of joy and cockiness replaced with a much more business-like stare, as though he had just been insulted.
Teo Blaze: Let me get down to brass tacks. Kennedy Matthews, Scott Slayer… it doesn’t matter. And I don’t mean it because those two genuinely don’t matter to the stakes of this company no! I don’t give a damn if I’ve beaten you clean in the center of that ring a hundred times, you do not get to do what those two did on Slam last week as long as Teo Blaze is drawing oxygen!
The Television Champion has now placed his hands on the armrests, visibly digging his fingers to the side as his voice raises. As if on cue, as he leans forward and raises his voice, the crackling fireplace suddenly seems to grow, eliciting a roar of flame to accompany his assertion.
Teo Blaze: Last week’s match was an atrocity trying to disguise itself as an embarassment. At best, Kennedy Matthews barely managed to get out of the match last week, with a two on one advantage mind you, without getting her face broken by the front row!
Just because all the referees on this roster apparently aren’t given any kind of vision plan doesn’t mean that these people don’t see what happens when you put together two worthless scumbags like Kennedy Matthews and Scott Slayer in the ring together!
Last week, she didn’t just steal that Torture Stone from DW Wolf by cheating so blatantly Tiger Woods would tell her to turn it down, she stole a worthy match from these fans!
You see, I’ve faced Kennedy Matthews a lot in these past few weeks, and let me tell you, she treats wrestling the same way she treated prom night: Path of Least Resistance.
She does whatever is the easiest, and squelches any small spark of god-honest talent she may have beneath a mountain of bullshit! Weapons! Low Blows! Interference! Referee Distraction! Each and every Kennedy Matthews match should come with a complimentary barf bag, because just trying to look at one of her matches brings on a sudden onset of nausea!
The two-time Luchador shakes his head in disgust, placing his hand on his fist and looking at the fire, which continues to fill the room with a bright orange glow.
Teo Blaze: You want to know why I put myself into that match last week? You want to know why I saved DW Wolf from suffering a two-on-one assault?
...It’s because it was the right thing to do.
Teo’s serious face gives way to a slight grin, although his eyes remain unchanged, carrying that same coldness that he carries when he looks at an opponent for whom he holds nothing but disdain.
Teo Blaze: I did it because no matter what I think of Wolf, no matter what jokes I make or what comments I give… At that moment, looking at someone at the mercy of those two...pieces of filth. I knew I couldn’t let them have the satisfaction.
I couldn’t...I refused! To stand by and let either Kennedy Matthews or Scott Slayer know that they got away with it. That they not only wrent the Torture stone from the grip of a genuinely deserving competitor, but that they forced the fans to watch them humiliate him unopposed.
Teo stands up, walking towards the mantle. He stares long into the accumulated prizes, the result of weeks, months...years of hard work. Three years since he lost the Television Championship and now it was in his possession once again.
Teo Blaze: You know what the difference is? Between me and those two, I mean…
Teo shakes his head as a burst of air exits his nostrils, scoffing at the idea that anyone would try to compare him with them.
Teo Blaze: Unlike them? I know that these prizes, for all their value, for all their prestige...at the end of the day, they are not what make me who I am.
Teo turns slowly towards the camera, and holds out his arms to the side.
Teo Blaze: I am not a title belt. I am not even an infinity Stone. What you see is what you get.
The champion is dressed in his usual clothes. Worn out sneakers and blue jeans, and black T-shirt emblazoned with the Must-See TV Logo.
Teo Blaze: Kennedy Matthews thinks that she’s a champion because she managed to have that belt in her possession. Scott Slayer thinks he’ll be a champion if he snatches that Hardcore belt...
Teo lets loose a chuckle, his expression has changed as he spoke, still tense, still carrying that air of aggression, of fire...but his lips have curled into a grin.
Teo Blaze: But let me tell you a secret. It’s not what we have that defines us.
It’s what we do.
I am not the People’s Champion because I held a belt that declared me such longer than anyone ever has, or ever will hold that belt.
I am the People’s Champion because on a roster consumed by ego, driven by greed, with each and every man, woman, or wrestler on that roster setting their sights only on what they want, what they can get!
I have proven time and time again that I live for you. That as long as this heart is beating with the roar of a thousand voices, I will not rest, I will not go down until the People are standing with their eyes locked in the ring, knowing! That they have gotten exactly what they want.
I am not the Television Champion because I have held it more times than nearly anyone in the company, that I have defended it against future stars!
I’m the Television Champion because when Teo Blaze wrestles, people know not to touch that dial. I was Mr. Must-See TV long before it became a brand name. Look at XIII, look at One! Hell, look at WAR. By any metric, WAR should have been the most embarrassing night of my career, and what happened?
#PushTeo #IBelieveInTeoBlaze
An outpouring of support, an outraged crowd. My elimination became even more talked about than the eventual winner!
Teo grins and looks at the belt with pride. Though he sees it only as a reflection of his accomplishments, he still is happy to be its representative.
Teo Blaze: Our actions define us...so what are your actions?
What do you do with the wonderful platform you have been given?
As Teo speaks, any bit of happiness begins to drain from his voice, overcome by what can only be described as fury.
Teo Blaze: You lie. You cheat. You covet. You squander the wonderful gift that we have been given, the chance to perform in front of a roaring crowd of hundreds of thousands! To let our deeds be carried throughout the world!
You spit it right in their faces.
You slap them right in the face for even trying to give a damn about either one of you.
Contempt. Contempt is the word for the emotion that fills Teo’s face.
Teo Blaze: Scott… I have to ask, was it worth it?
You sold your soul to Kennedy Matthews and her delusions of grandeur. You follow her around like a lap dog begging for a milk bone and waiting for a pat on the head.
And for what?
To be known as the man who kept Kennedy Matthews from sliding completely into irrelevance? To get the chance to put your hands on a stone that neither one of you has any business even dreaming about?
To be known as the insurance policy for the most overrated member of the roster, possibly in the history of the company?
Teo begins advancing on the camera, leaning his head closely so that the lenses dip just below his nose, exposing his eyes, which stare directly at the viewer as though he were looking right through them.
Teo Blaze: Look into my eyes, Scott.
Teo’s eyes, normally a pale blue, have seemed to drain of almost all color, like cold steel. Yet despite this, and even though he is faced away from the fire, it seems as though an orange light flickers through them every few seconds, perhaps the reflection of the roaring flame...but they stare, unblinking, unflinching, unmoving.
Teo Blaze: This is not a game that you want to play.
Make no bones about it, when I watched your actions last week, the way that you played that referee like a fiddle, the way that you took advantage of his sympathy for that piece of shit that calls herself queen?
That disgusted me to my very core.
But my eyes have seen worse than you can imagine.
I’ve seen good men plummet to their deaths in the center of that ring.
I’ve seen monsters, good and evil, collide with force enough to rock the building to its foundations.
I’ve seen legends rise and fall and I’ve even made a few myself.
You think you’re bad.
I’ve beaten worse.
You think you’re tough.
I’ve thrown myself through panes of glass and had my skull cracked by every kind of weapon that can fit under that ring.
You think you’re smart?
They always do. Stephen Singh thought he was smart when he got into that limousine.Jared Holmes thought he was smart when he stole the TV Title. Kennnedy Matthews thought she was smart at Helloween.
The simple fact is that ego..? It’s a handicap.
You’re setting yourself up for a fall, Scott.
A wake-up call.
You know what happens when bad people get together, gang up, and try to hurt good people?
We don’t get hurt, Scott.
We get angry.
DW Wolf and me?
We’re not just warriors.
We’re champions.
I don’t mean that we have those title belts on our mantles, that’s not what being a champion is.
Being a champion means that you don’t let little manipulative bitches and their toadying lapdogs run things.
It means that when someone like you gets the idea in their head that they are going to take shortcuts?
Steal from us?
We don’t break the rules.
We throw them out the window.
We roll up our sleeves, walk into that ring, and we beat your sorry asses so badly that you will wish, you will pray! For us to end it! With the world watching, we call upon that fire that roars in each and every person walking this earth and we inflict such punishment, such pain upon our would-be conquerors!
We inflict a message! We leave a reminder, etched onto your very soul that you never! Ever! Steal from a champion!
Teo is breathing heavily now, his voice has raised to a fever pitch, and the glow behind him has now transformed into an orange sillhouette that threatens to consume the entire screen. Teo’s face is highlighted by shadows and his expression twisted into something not entirely describable. But after a moment, it passes. His voice calms, returning to a normal register. He inhales slowly, and turns his back to the camera, walking towards the mantle. After a few moments, his voice once again begins to return.
Teo Blaze: And you want to know the worst part? When we’re in that ring, when you are staring up at those lights, with every muscle, every vein, every cell in your body crying out for mercy, for the sweet release of unconsciousness?
All you’ll have to comfort you is the knowledge that you brought it on yourself.
That you could have kept any of this from happening.
When we embarrass you in front of the world? When we turn you into quivering piles of broken cowardice?
You won’t even have the relief of sympathy.
Because the crowd will cheer your defeat.
That is your reward. That is your prize.
I hope it was worth it.
Teo retrieves the golden prizes and places them on his shoulder as he turns and walks from the room.
The voice fills a void as the viewer is greeted by a lack of anything. No visuals, no fancy logos... just a blank screen.
Voiceover: Birds fly, fish swim...and Kennedy Matthews is a scum-sucking coward.
The screen is suddenly consumed by a loud crash of static, screeching with the sound of a technical error for a brief moment before slamming back to a normal broadcast, where the smiling face of the Television Champion is looking directly at the viewer, his eyes obscured slightly by the red lenses that have become synonymous with his expression.
Teo Blaze: But I don’t have to tell you all that. Anyone with eyes knows by now.
Teo turns and begins walking towards the scene behind him. At first glance, it appears relatively lavish, but small details begin to make themselves known the more the scene comes into focus. There is a plywood bookshelf with a collection of volumes that aren’t actually real, instead carved from a single block of wood. There is a bearskin rug on the ground, but a rather prominent pricetag proudly displays a half-off sticker, and a pair of comical glass eyes make it look like it’s constantly surprised.
But the one thing that is not in any way imitation, the crowning achievement of the scene sits on the mantle. The WCF Television Championship, surrounded by 3 multicolored stones.
Teo Blaze: Now there are those that are wondering why I took it upon myself to help the hapless DW Wolf last week when he was caught in the throes of a two on one assault by Kennedy Matthews and her wannabe groupie Scott Slayer. Why at that moment did Teo Blaze choose to insert himself into another wrestler’s business? Hadn’t he proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was Kennedy Matthews’s superior? By beating her not once, but twice on Slam, and going on to defend his championship AND gain another infinity stone...hadn’t he shown the world that he had moved past that self-obsessed, circus sideshow reject who couldn’t wrestle her way out of a paper bag if she had a pair of scissors?
Teo plops himself down on a threadbare comforter, eliciting a small cloud of dust as he does so, chuckling at the question.
Teo Blaze: Why yes, yes I did. You see, the simple fact is that by this point, after three matches with five finishes, I have absolutely nothing left to prove against Kennedy Matthews. That belt on the mantle shows the world that not only am I superior to her in the ring, but the ratings are all it takes to show exactly what people think of her out of it. After all, which one of us was in the main event last week?
Teo smiles and shakes his head, as if thinking of the punchline to a long-forgotten joke… but suddenly and without warning his head snaps up, the look of joy and cockiness replaced with a much more business-like stare, as though he had just been insulted.
Teo Blaze: Let me get down to brass tacks. Kennedy Matthews, Scott Slayer… it doesn’t matter. And I don’t mean it because those two genuinely don’t matter to the stakes of this company no! I don’t give a damn if I’ve beaten you clean in the center of that ring a hundred times, you do not get to do what those two did on Slam last week as long as Teo Blaze is drawing oxygen!
The Television Champion has now placed his hands on the armrests, visibly digging his fingers to the side as his voice raises. As if on cue, as he leans forward and raises his voice, the crackling fireplace suddenly seems to grow, eliciting a roar of flame to accompany his assertion.
Teo Blaze: Last week’s match was an atrocity trying to disguise itself as an embarassment. At best, Kennedy Matthews barely managed to get out of the match last week, with a two on one advantage mind you, without getting her face broken by the front row!
Just because all the referees on this roster apparently aren’t given any kind of vision plan doesn’t mean that these people don’t see what happens when you put together two worthless scumbags like Kennedy Matthews and Scott Slayer in the ring together!
Last week, she didn’t just steal that Torture Stone from DW Wolf by cheating so blatantly Tiger Woods would tell her to turn it down, she stole a worthy match from these fans!
You see, I’ve faced Kennedy Matthews a lot in these past few weeks, and let me tell you, she treats wrestling the same way she treated prom night: Path of Least Resistance.
She does whatever is the easiest, and squelches any small spark of god-honest talent she may have beneath a mountain of bullshit! Weapons! Low Blows! Interference! Referee Distraction! Each and every Kennedy Matthews match should come with a complimentary barf bag, because just trying to look at one of her matches brings on a sudden onset of nausea!
The two-time Luchador shakes his head in disgust, placing his hand on his fist and looking at the fire, which continues to fill the room with a bright orange glow.
Teo Blaze: You want to know why I put myself into that match last week? You want to know why I saved DW Wolf from suffering a two-on-one assault?
...It’s because it was the right thing to do.
Teo’s serious face gives way to a slight grin, although his eyes remain unchanged, carrying that same coldness that he carries when he looks at an opponent for whom he holds nothing but disdain.
Teo Blaze: I did it because no matter what I think of Wolf, no matter what jokes I make or what comments I give… At that moment, looking at someone at the mercy of those two...pieces of filth. I knew I couldn’t let them have the satisfaction.
I couldn’t...I refused! To stand by and let either Kennedy Matthews or Scott Slayer know that they got away with it. That they not only wrent the Torture stone from the grip of a genuinely deserving competitor, but that they forced the fans to watch them humiliate him unopposed.
Teo stands up, walking towards the mantle. He stares long into the accumulated prizes, the result of weeks, months...years of hard work. Three years since he lost the Television Championship and now it was in his possession once again.
Teo Blaze: You know what the difference is? Between me and those two, I mean…
Teo shakes his head as a burst of air exits his nostrils, scoffing at the idea that anyone would try to compare him with them.
Teo Blaze: Unlike them? I know that these prizes, for all their value, for all their prestige...at the end of the day, they are not what make me who I am.
Teo turns slowly towards the camera, and holds out his arms to the side.
Teo Blaze: I am not a title belt. I am not even an infinity Stone. What you see is what you get.
The champion is dressed in his usual clothes. Worn out sneakers and blue jeans, and black T-shirt emblazoned with the Must-See TV Logo.
Teo Blaze: Kennedy Matthews thinks that she’s a champion because she managed to have that belt in her possession. Scott Slayer thinks he’ll be a champion if he snatches that Hardcore belt...
Teo lets loose a chuckle, his expression has changed as he spoke, still tense, still carrying that air of aggression, of fire...but his lips have curled into a grin.
Teo Blaze: But let me tell you a secret. It’s not what we have that defines us.
It’s what we do.
I am not the People’s Champion because I held a belt that declared me such longer than anyone ever has, or ever will hold that belt.
I am the People’s Champion because on a roster consumed by ego, driven by greed, with each and every man, woman, or wrestler on that roster setting their sights only on what they want, what they can get!
I have proven time and time again that I live for you. That as long as this heart is beating with the roar of a thousand voices, I will not rest, I will not go down until the People are standing with their eyes locked in the ring, knowing! That they have gotten exactly what they want.
I am not the Television Champion because I have held it more times than nearly anyone in the company, that I have defended it against future stars!
I’m the Television Champion because when Teo Blaze wrestles, people know not to touch that dial. I was Mr. Must-See TV long before it became a brand name. Look at XIII, look at One! Hell, look at WAR. By any metric, WAR should have been the most embarrassing night of my career, and what happened?
#PushTeo #IBelieveInTeoBlaze
An outpouring of support, an outraged crowd. My elimination became even more talked about than the eventual winner!
Teo grins and looks at the belt with pride. Though he sees it only as a reflection of his accomplishments, he still is happy to be its representative.
Teo Blaze: Our actions define us...so what are your actions?
What do you do with the wonderful platform you have been given?
As Teo speaks, any bit of happiness begins to drain from his voice, overcome by what can only be described as fury.
Teo Blaze: You lie. You cheat. You covet. You squander the wonderful gift that we have been given, the chance to perform in front of a roaring crowd of hundreds of thousands! To let our deeds be carried throughout the world!
You spit it right in their faces.
You slap them right in the face for even trying to give a damn about either one of you.
Contempt. Contempt is the word for the emotion that fills Teo’s face.
Teo Blaze: Scott… I have to ask, was it worth it?
You sold your soul to Kennedy Matthews and her delusions of grandeur. You follow her around like a lap dog begging for a milk bone and waiting for a pat on the head.
And for what?
To be known as the man who kept Kennedy Matthews from sliding completely into irrelevance? To get the chance to put your hands on a stone that neither one of you has any business even dreaming about?
To be known as the insurance policy for the most overrated member of the roster, possibly in the history of the company?
Teo begins advancing on the camera, leaning his head closely so that the lenses dip just below his nose, exposing his eyes, which stare directly at the viewer as though he were looking right through them.
Teo Blaze: Look into my eyes, Scott.
Teo’s eyes, normally a pale blue, have seemed to drain of almost all color, like cold steel. Yet despite this, and even though he is faced away from the fire, it seems as though an orange light flickers through them every few seconds, perhaps the reflection of the roaring flame...but they stare, unblinking, unflinching, unmoving.
Teo Blaze: This is not a game that you want to play.
Make no bones about it, when I watched your actions last week, the way that you played that referee like a fiddle, the way that you took advantage of his sympathy for that piece of shit that calls herself queen?
That disgusted me to my very core.
But my eyes have seen worse than you can imagine.
I’ve seen good men plummet to their deaths in the center of that ring.
I’ve seen monsters, good and evil, collide with force enough to rock the building to its foundations.
I’ve seen legends rise and fall and I’ve even made a few myself.
You think you’re bad.
I’ve beaten worse.
You think you’re tough.
I’ve thrown myself through panes of glass and had my skull cracked by every kind of weapon that can fit under that ring.
You think you’re smart?
They always do. Stephen Singh thought he was smart when he got into that limousine.Jared Holmes thought he was smart when he stole the TV Title. Kennnedy Matthews thought she was smart at Helloween.
The simple fact is that ego..? It’s a handicap.
You’re setting yourself up for a fall, Scott.
A wake-up call.
You know what happens when bad people get together, gang up, and try to hurt good people?
We don’t get hurt, Scott.
We get angry.
DW Wolf and me?
We’re not just warriors.
We’re champions.
I don’t mean that we have those title belts on our mantles, that’s not what being a champion is.
Being a champion means that you don’t let little manipulative bitches and their toadying lapdogs run things.
It means that when someone like you gets the idea in their head that they are going to take shortcuts?
Steal from us?
We don’t break the rules.
We throw them out the window.
We roll up our sleeves, walk into that ring, and we beat your sorry asses so badly that you will wish, you will pray! For us to end it! With the world watching, we call upon that fire that roars in each and every person walking this earth and we inflict such punishment, such pain upon our would-be conquerors!
We inflict a message! We leave a reminder, etched onto your very soul that you never! Ever! Steal from a champion!
Teo is breathing heavily now, his voice has raised to a fever pitch, and the glow behind him has now transformed into an orange sillhouette that threatens to consume the entire screen. Teo’s face is highlighted by shadows and his expression twisted into something not entirely describable. But after a moment, it passes. His voice calms, returning to a normal register. He inhales slowly, and turns his back to the camera, walking towards the mantle. After a few moments, his voice once again begins to return.
Teo Blaze: And you want to know the worst part? When we’re in that ring, when you are staring up at those lights, with every muscle, every vein, every cell in your body crying out for mercy, for the sweet release of unconsciousness?
All you’ll have to comfort you is the knowledge that you brought it on yourself.
That you could have kept any of this from happening.
When we embarrass you in front of the world? When we turn you into quivering piles of broken cowardice?
You won’t even have the relief of sympathy.
Because the crowd will cheer your defeat.
That is your reward. That is your prize.
I hope it was worth it.
Teo retrieves the golden prizes and places them on his shoulder as he turns and walks from the room.
