Post by tirri on Oct 31, 2022 13:04:27 GMT -5
Loose Ends (offcam)
Steady clanking of iron on iron echoes on a somewhat sparsely decorated room, filled mostly with workout equipment. Interspersed with the clanking is grunting from Donny Mason who is laying on his back, bench pressing some rather impressive weights. And on top of the incidental sounds plays music.
“No more… Mr. Nice Guy… no more… Mr. Clean”
The distinctive voice of Dave Mustaine emanates from the big Englishman's phone resting on a stool next to the bench, the cover of the famous Alice Cooper song having become Donny’s new theme after the incident with Bert. As Donny starts a new set, the song is replaced by another midverse, a rapidfire riff and then gruff singing.
“If you like to gamble I tell you I’m your man…”
With an annoyed groan Donny sets the bar back to its rests and sits up, reaching for his phone. Looking at the screen he sees that he is getting a call just as he thought, and the caller ID just says “Pops”. With an irritated look on his face he presses decline and lies back down.
“You know, you’re gonna have to answer him eventually” rings out the voice of Shay from the other end of the room where she has been hammering away at a punching bag. Since Donny returned to LevelUp with his new mentality, the pair had been remaining absent from the Tirri Training Center, Donny not feeling like being in the middle of it all and Shay not wanting to be caught between a father and a son.
“I know babe” Donny sighed. “Just… I can’t be arsed to deal with him. Not now.”
“Nice to know how you feel, kid” a gruff voice interrupted from the doorway. Donny turned to look at the direction with a surprised face, seeing exactly what he didn’t. Don Tirri, in the flesh, leaning against the door with a look on his face only a disappointed father can have.
“How the hell did you get here Pops?” Donny snaps at his father, then looks at Shay “You let him in babe?” His voice is dripping with hurt.
Before Shay can respond, Tirri interjects. “Don’t look at her.” he then raises his hand, showing a keyring dangling from it. “You gave me your spare, remember? Something about looking after the house when you’re gallivanting around the country.”
Opening and closing his mouth like a fish on dry land, Donny eventually just deflated and sat down. He knew he was in for a talking to from Tirri, something he had hoped to avoid for a while… and there was nothing he could do about it. He threw a glance at Shay, but once again Tirri was quicker, as if he was expecting it.
“You mind giving me and my son a moment alone Shay?” He spoke with a deceptively soft voice, but his choice of words left no room for arguing. Something he realized and continued. “We miss you at the center girl, and I’m not just talking about myself being buried in paperwork.”
Shay got the hint and nodded, leaving the two men alone in the gym. Tirri walked over to lock the door behind her and after scanning the room, sat down on a stool not far from Donny. “So kid. What’s going on? You spend 2 months stuck at home, then show up at LevelUp spewing all kinds of weird bullshit, pull all kinds of crooked shit at Nocturne and then start avoiding me like a plague. Start talking”
For someone who didn’t grow up with his father, Donny is suddenly very aware of the pressure that Tirri’s stare puts on him. But at the same time, he feels a wave of anger rise up. “What do you care, Pops? I’m on my own now. You told me yourself that you were gonna distance yourself from me professionally. But sure. I’ll talk” Donny stood up and started pacing around the gym. “Simply put, I decided to do things my way. Incase you’ve been buried so damn deep in your fucking wrestling school Pops… I haven’t exactly lit the world on fire since you hung up your boots. What you taught me, isn’t working. And what Bert did? Just snapped me out of a daydream.”
“Now listen here kid…” Tirri interjected, taken aback by Donny’s vitriol. “I’ve been watching. Hell, I wanted to be there for you. I WAS there for you when you went against Buster. I’ve stayed away to prevent you from getting backlash from my reputation.” He took a breather and continued. “Still, this shit you’re doing and saying? “Mr. Nice Guy” stuff? You’re better than this Donny. You don’t need to cheat to win. You don’t need to put on some damn gimmick to work the crowd or the boys.”
“That’s just the thing. I clearly am not.” Donny responded with a snarl. “Since you left? All I’ve done is lose and lose and lose some more. I’ve tried to do things the way you taught me Pops. The way Mum taught me. And at the same time? Fucking hell. Bert nearly caved in my skull and what did he get for his deed? A shot at the Final Boss title. Besides….” Donny shot a meaningful look at Tirri. “You spent the majority of your career, between that loss in Manchester and that loss in Reno, as the bad guy. You were fucking proud of it too! And when you finally “reformed”... Well, not like you got any instant success either. Close but never close enough. Maybe you just never were good enough Pops. Maybe all you’ve taught me is how to be mediocre. A steady hand. The guy who makes the star look good.”
The young man’s words caused Tirri to flinch like he was punched in the face. You could see a barrage of emotions fly past on his expressions and body language as he listened to Donny rant. And when he was finished, Tirri was silent. He seemed almost deflated. “You got a point kid.” He finally responded, his voice flat, emotionless. His shoulders were shaking as if he was trying to suppress whatever outburst that was bubbling under the surface. “I was never good enough. I wasted my own chance of being the top guy. I spent over 20 years hunting for that elusive moment of being THE guy.” Tirri raised his head and looked at his son, sadness in his eyes. “But you are good enough. You got what it takes, kid. You are better than I ever was. And I got so close. Don’t throw it all away because of a rough patch. Don’t become something you aren’t because things aren’t going your way. Don’t become… me.”
Taken aback by his fathers reaction, Donny blinked. He had expected the old man to snap back at him. Shout at him. Maybe try to take a swing at him. But this solemn admission of his inadequacy came as a shock. And as Donny watched his father sit there, shoulders slumped, looking at him with nearly begging eyes his temper flared. “Become you? Bloody hell Pops, I AM YOU. You’ve spent the last year and a half molding me into you. I wrestle like you. I talk like you. Hell, if I had hair I’d probably LOOK like you too. But no more. I’m Donny Mason for fucks sake. Not Don Tirri. And I’m gonna do things my way.” Donny took a few steps towards the door and glanced over his shoulder. “I’m not gonna let anyone tell me who I am or who I ain’t. So sod off Don, I got a match to prepare for. I trust you know the way out of here. And leave the key when you do.”
And just like that, not waiting for a response, Donny stormed out of the gym, leaving his father sitting alone. He made his way to the kitchen, with Shay spotting him as he entered. “What happened babe?”
Donny grabbed a drink from the fridge and leant against it, looking at Shay with a weird expression. “I tied up a loose end. Nothing more. Nothing less. I’m Mr. Nice Guy after all.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slamsylvania(oncam)[/u]
The view opens up to show Donny Mason standing on a balcony over downtown Reno, dressed in a sharp suit. The young Englishman is watching the buzzing below with his hands behind his back, appearing very thoughtful.
“A victory on the scorebook finally. Nocturne fell just like I promised. Looks like I was on the right path with my thoughts two weeks ago.”
He turns to look at the camera, smiling faintly.
“But unfortunately you people grabbed onto the easiest conclusion. That somehow Kat Jones is behind my change in mentality. You poor unfortunate souls couldn’t be more wrong. But I guess it is extremely hard to believe that the easy-going Mr. Nice Guy might have a mean streak on his own. No matter. You can keep believing whatever you wish. It is your right and depriving you of that right wouldn’t be nice now would it?”
Donny winks to the camera, the smile turning into a slightly crooked grin.
“I have a reputation to maintain after all. But think about it for a while. You might boo my actions, take exception with the means that I utilize. But they work. I was in the right. And at the upcoming Triforce Heroes PPV… I will prove it once more. SlamSylvania.”
The young Englishman repeats the word Slamsylvania a few times, as if he was tasting fine wine, before nodding and continuing.
“It’s rather fitting actually. Dracula is another prime example of evil being considered cool… Be it Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee… Gary Oldman and others. Children dress up as him on Halloween. And yet, Dracula is evil by nature. I won’t be going to Slamsylvania to slay the monster. I’m going there to slay the others who seek to do the same. And as I scan down the list of names who are joining me in the bout I see just a few to stand out. Raab, who I teamed with that night when Bert nearly caved in my skull. Larry Tact, the man who I referenced two weeks ago and for a good reason… Bam Miller and Sloane Taylor. I would feel the need to ramble on incessantly about them but quite frankly, that wouldn’t be nice. I don’t do the whole insult them for paragraph after paragraph. That is what Pops would do. What the hallowed master of Levelup, Trent Steel would do. But I am Mr. Nice Guy after all. Why should I do that? Instead I am merely going to make you think.”
That is said with a somewhat chilling tone. The whole vibe of the scene is very unsettling.
“With a titleshot on the line… How far is a man or a woman ready to go? We’ve seen it in Levelup before. No shortcut is too lazy. No cheat is too blatant. To triumph at Slamsylvania… mere wrestling ability won’t be enough. Good hustle and being a good mechanic won’t be enough. You gotta claw and fight your way to the top. And I intend to do it. Not because Kat Jones is there to egg me on. Not because Shay is telling me to do it. No. I will do whatever I deem necessary because I can. Because I want to. Because I feel like it. And… Because ultimately it doesn’t matter one bit. The audience loves winners. No matter how they win. A star once said “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.” And he reached the highest echelons of this business. As a fan favorite. So no matter what I do. When I stand triumphant at Triforce Heroes… People will cheer for me. Because I am a winner.”
He spreads his arms into a flexing pose and nods to the camera again.
“And because they can trust me… since I am Mr. Nice Guy”
The scene fades out with Donny turning back around to watch the streets below.
Steady clanking of iron on iron echoes on a somewhat sparsely decorated room, filled mostly with workout equipment. Interspersed with the clanking is grunting from Donny Mason who is laying on his back, bench pressing some rather impressive weights. And on top of the incidental sounds plays music.
“No more… Mr. Nice Guy… no more… Mr. Clean”
The distinctive voice of Dave Mustaine emanates from the big Englishman's phone resting on a stool next to the bench, the cover of the famous Alice Cooper song having become Donny’s new theme after the incident with Bert. As Donny starts a new set, the song is replaced by another midverse, a rapidfire riff and then gruff singing.
“If you like to gamble I tell you I’m your man…”
With an annoyed groan Donny sets the bar back to its rests and sits up, reaching for his phone. Looking at the screen he sees that he is getting a call just as he thought, and the caller ID just says “Pops”. With an irritated look on his face he presses decline and lies back down.
“You know, you’re gonna have to answer him eventually” rings out the voice of Shay from the other end of the room where she has been hammering away at a punching bag. Since Donny returned to LevelUp with his new mentality, the pair had been remaining absent from the Tirri Training Center, Donny not feeling like being in the middle of it all and Shay not wanting to be caught between a father and a son.
“I know babe” Donny sighed. “Just… I can’t be arsed to deal with him. Not now.”
“Nice to know how you feel, kid” a gruff voice interrupted from the doorway. Donny turned to look at the direction with a surprised face, seeing exactly what he didn’t. Don Tirri, in the flesh, leaning against the door with a look on his face only a disappointed father can have.
“How the hell did you get here Pops?” Donny snaps at his father, then looks at Shay “You let him in babe?” His voice is dripping with hurt.
Before Shay can respond, Tirri interjects. “Don’t look at her.” he then raises his hand, showing a keyring dangling from it. “You gave me your spare, remember? Something about looking after the house when you’re gallivanting around the country.”
Opening and closing his mouth like a fish on dry land, Donny eventually just deflated and sat down. He knew he was in for a talking to from Tirri, something he had hoped to avoid for a while… and there was nothing he could do about it. He threw a glance at Shay, but once again Tirri was quicker, as if he was expecting it.
“You mind giving me and my son a moment alone Shay?” He spoke with a deceptively soft voice, but his choice of words left no room for arguing. Something he realized and continued. “We miss you at the center girl, and I’m not just talking about myself being buried in paperwork.”
Shay got the hint and nodded, leaving the two men alone in the gym. Tirri walked over to lock the door behind her and after scanning the room, sat down on a stool not far from Donny. “So kid. What’s going on? You spend 2 months stuck at home, then show up at LevelUp spewing all kinds of weird bullshit, pull all kinds of crooked shit at Nocturne and then start avoiding me like a plague. Start talking”
For someone who didn’t grow up with his father, Donny is suddenly very aware of the pressure that Tirri’s stare puts on him. But at the same time, he feels a wave of anger rise up. “What do you care, Pops? I’m on my own now. You told me yourself that you were gonna distance yourself from me professionally. But sure. I’ll talk” Donny stood up and started pacing around the gym. “Simply put, I decided to do things my way. Incase you’ve been buried so damn deep in your fucking wrestling school Pops… I haven’t exactly lit the world on fire since you hung up your boots. What you taught me, isn’t working. And what Bert did? Just snapped me out of a daydream.”
“Now listen here kid…” Tirri interjected, taken aback by Donny’s vitriol. “I’ve been watching. Hell, I wanted to be there for you. I WAS there for you when you went against Buster. I’ve stayed away to prevent you from getting backlash from my reputation.” He took a breather and continued. “Still, this shit you’re doing and saying? “Mr. Nice Guy” stuff? You’re better than this Donny. You don’t need to cheat to win. You don’t need to put on some damn gimmick to work the crowd or the boys.”
“That’s just the thing. I clearly am not.” Donny responded with a snarl. “Since you left? All I’ve done is lose and lose and lose some more. I’ve tried to do things the way you taught me Pops. The way Mum taught me. And at the same time? Fucking hell. Bert nearly caved in my skull and what did he get for his deed? A shot at the Final Boss title. Besides….” Donny shot a meaningful look at Tirri. “You spent the majority of your career, between that loss in Manchester and that loss in Reno, as the bad guy. You were fucking proud of it too! And when you finally “reformed”... Well, not like you got any instant success either. Close but never close enough. Maybe you just never were good enough Pops. Maybe all you’ve taught me is how to be mediocre. A steady hand. The guy who makes the star look good.”
The young man’s words caused Tirri to flinch like he was punched in the face. You could see a barrage of emotions fly past on his expressions and body language as he listened to Donny rant. And when he was finished, Tirri was silent. He seemed almost deflated. “You got a point kid.” He finally responded, his voice flat, emotionless. His shoulders were shaking as if he was trying to suppress whatever outburst that was bubbling under the surface. “I was never good enough. I wasted my own chance of being the top guy. I spent over 20 years hunting for that elusive moment of being THE guy.” Tirri raised his head and looked at his son, sadness in his eyes. “But you are good enough. You got what it takes, kid. You are better than I ever was. And I got so close. Don’t throw it all away because of a rough patch. Don’t become something you aren’t because things aren’t going your way. Don’t become… me.”
Taken aback by his fathers reaction, Donny blinked. He had expected the old man to snap back at him. Shout at him. Maybe try to take a swing at him. But this solemn admission of his inadequacy came as a shock. And as Donny watched his father sit there, shoulders slumped, looking at him with nearly begging eyes his temper flared. “Become you? Bloody hell Pops, I AM YOU. You’ve spent the last year and a half molding me into you. I wrestle like you. I talk like you. Hell, if I had hair I’d probably LOOK like you too. But no more. I’m Donny Mason for fucks sake. Not Don Tirri. And I’m gonna do things my way.” Donny took a few steps towards the door and glanced over his shoulder. “I’m not gonna let anyone tell me who I am or who I ain’t. So sod off Don, I got a match to prepare for. I trust you know the way out of here. And leave the key when you do.”
And just like that, not waiting for a response, Donny stormed out of the gym, leaving his father sitting alone. He made his way to the kitchen, with Shay spotting him as he entered. “What happened babe?”
Donny grabbed a drink from the fridge and leant against it, looking at Shay with a weird expression. “I tied up a loose end. Nothing more. Nothing less. I’m Mr. Nice Guy after all.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slamsylvania(oncam)[/u]
The view opens up to show Donny Mason standing on a balcony over downtown Reno, dressed in a sharp suit. The young Englishman is watching the buzzing below with his hands behind his back, appearing very thoughtful.
“A victory on the scorebook finally. Nocturne fell just like I promised. Looks like I was on the right path with my thoughts two weeks ago.”
He turns to look at the camera, smiling faintly.
“But unfortunately you people grabbed onto the easiest conclusion. That somehow Kat Jones is behind my change in mentality. You poor unfortunate souls couldn’t be more wrong. But I guess it is extremely hard to believe that the easy-going Mr. Nice Guy might have a mean streak on his own. No matter. You can keep believing whatever you wish. It is your right and depriving you of that right wouldn’t be nice now would it?”
Donny winks to the camera, the smile turning into a slightly crooked grin.
“I have a reputation to maintain after all. But think about it for a while. You might boo my actions, take exception with the means that I utilize. But they work. I was in the right. And at the upcoming Triforce Heroes PPV… I will prove it once more. SlamSylvania.”
The young Englishman repeats the word Slamsylvania a few times, as if he was tasting fine wine, before nodding and continuing.
“It’s rather fitting actually. Dracula is another prime example of evil being considered cool… Be it Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee… Gary Oldman and others. Children dress up as him on Halloween. And yet, Dracula is evil by nature. I won’t be going to Slamsylvania to slay the monster. I’m going there to slay the others who seek to do the same. And as I scan down the list of names who are joining me in the bout I see just a few to stand out. Raab, who I teamed with that night when Bert nearly caved in my skull. Larry Tact, the man who I referenced two weeks ago and for a good reason… Bam Miller and Sloane Taylor. I would feel the need to ramble on incessantly about them but quite frankly, that wouldn’t be nice. I don’t do the whole insult them for paragraph after paragraph. That is what Pops would do. What the hallowed master of Levelup, Trent Steel would do. But I am Mr. Nice Guy after all. Why should I do that? Instead I am merely going to make you think.”
That is said with a somewhat chilling tone. The whole vibe of the scene is very unsettling.
“With a titleshot on the line… How far is a man or a woman ready to go? We’ve seen it in Levelup before. No shortcut is too lazy. No cheat is too blatant. To triumph at Slamsylvania… mere wrestling ability won’t be enough. Good hustle and being a good mechanic won’t be enough. You gotta claw and fight your way to the top. And I intend to do it. Not because Kat Jones is there to egg me on. Not because Shay is telling me to do it. No. I will do whatever I deem necessary because I can. Because I want to. Because I feel like it. And… Because ultimately it doesn’t matter one bit. The audience loves winners. No matter how they win. A star once said “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.” And he reached the highest echelons of this business. As a fan favorite. So no matter what I do. When I stand triumphant at Triforce Heroes… People will cheer for me. Because I am a winner.”
He spreads his arms into a flexing pose and nods to the camera again.
“And because they can trust me… since I am Mr. Nice Guy”
The scene fades out with Donny turning back around to watch the streets below.