Post by mechanicalanimals on Apr 29, 2022 9:41:12 GMT -7
The door to the locker room of the Mechanical Animals opens up and all four men who make up the primary unit of the group-Wil Pierce, Raijin Hunter, Piero, and Jacob Striker-walk into the room. All of them seem to be discussing the night's events.
Wil: I still can't believe you missed your mark during our match, Rai.
Rai: I know, I know...but who took the pin again?
Rai smirks at the older man as Wil starts to sputter in reaction, meanwhile Piero has taken notice that Jake isn't bouncing puns off of Wil as usual and turns to regard the younger man who is standing off to one side and looking at his hands with a curious expression on his face.
Piero: Oi...everything alright, Jake?
===========================================
<Flashback to earlier in the night/Jake's Perspective>
Katrina goes over the top ropes, but her angle is wrong and I can see her actually getting hurt, then I'm catching her...that familiar weight in my arms again and an old feeling starts to burn its way through me, something two years dead maybe..
She blinks a couple of times and looks up at me with a confused then grateful look as fear of all things starts to sprint through my veins...how would she react when she finds out who it is under this mask?
Will she demand my head like Lillie Saint and Myojin have for their bullshit reasons?
Will she simply shake her head sadly and walk away?
She gives me a nervous smile like I've forgotten something before a shake my head and put her back up onto the ring apron, her booted feet touching it...
^With no-one wearing their real face^
^It's a without of emotion^
^And I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall^
I shake my head again to clear it as I enter the ring myself.
=======================================
Jake is taken out of his thoughts when he feels a hand on his shoulder and Jake then turns to see that Piero is looking at him with a concerned look on his face, meanwhile Wil and Rai are still talking off to the side.
Piero: Seriously though, are you alright man?
Jacob: Yeah, I was just thinking back to earlier in the night.
Piero nodded.
Piero: Yeah, I still can't believe that guys went in there and lost in their debut.
Jacob: Not all of us can have a great opening night, they'll pick things up.
Piero: I know they will, Jake. But my main concern is are you doing okay?
Jacob: Yeah, nothing that a little sleep couldn't fix.
==========================================================
The next day found Jake sitting at a table at Provinos, a Italian family restaurant, and waiting for his lunch as he enjoyed a fine Antipasta of breaded and fried artichoke hearts as he looked around the restaurant for a moment before he settled back into his chair.
Voice: So, what's up?
Jake turned and looked over at the other person who was sitting at the table with him.
Jacob: Sorry, Angeal. Still a little bit distracted about what happened last night.
Angeal shrugged just a little bit before picking up his glass and taking a small drink of his wine.
Angeal: Yeah, I saw that. It's good to see you actually get to have a little fun rather than just storming in and kicking ass like what has apparently become your norm.
Jacob: Yeah, don't even get me started on that. But I asked you to join me for lunch, Angeal, because I wanted to get your thoughts on something and I figured that if I asked my dad or any of the others in the family then I would only get half a straight answer...you know?
Angeal nodded his head as he understood perfectly as he knew the family quite well-having been trained by the "Old Man" himself and being close friends with Jake's oldest cousin. Never mind the fact that aside from Ryo, Uri, and Kain-Angeal was the closest thing that Jake had to a real confident or even an advisor.
Angeal: Agreed. So what is bothering you then?
Jake started to speak but he was stopped when the waitress brought them their respective meals-a nice plate of Cioppino for Angeal and a Cannelloni Del Mar for Jake and the two took a moment to tuck in before Jake continued.
Jacob: Last night after I caught Katrina...I felt a bit odd, like I was standing in the middle of a roaring bonfire or something.
Angeal: Well you did catch your ex girlfriend while wearing a mask after all, there is bound to still be some feelings there after all.
Jacob: Perhaps, but it wasn't just *that* I'm thinking. I felt like my old self again...you know, before all that shit with NFW?
Angeal: Okay, how so?
Jake set his fork down before dabbing at his mouth a little bit with his napkin.
Jacob: Like I didn't have to be the bastard anymore, that I could have fun and actually *wrestle* as opposed to *fight*...I mean yes, Katrina is there and there is some unfinished business but ignoring all of that, I honestly felt like I could be myself again in the ring.
Do you know how weird that was to feel?
Angeal took this in as he finished chewing and then took a swallow of his wine to help give him enough time to actually think as he thought back to how Jake was during that time, going from New Frontier Wrestling to World Wrestling Headquarters and not really making any headway in either place other than making an occasional friend or something more.
Angeal then remembered that mad dash to the hospital with Jake's mom after they had heard about that one match for WWH in New York City-yes, Jake was built like his father in his ability to take pure, raw punishment and keep going;
But when you take a shot like that and it's called a grade three concussion...yeah, that's your body's way of telling you to just "fucking stop already".
Angeal: Must had been pretty weird for you to bring up all that, but then again you really haven't had a chance to just wrestle since before and after that match in New York City, Jake. Maybe this company is what you really needed.
I mean I respect Banch and what he's done in the business, but his constantly pushing you as Dominion's alpha male heel hasn't helped you creatively or mentally I believe...not to mention what Cedric's been doing with you over in OWM...
Jacob: Hey, the man has enough trust and faith in me to let me run with his world title.
Angeal: Yes, that is true, Jake. But when was the last time that you were really given a chance to stand up and do something creatively there? When was the last time that you weren't checking your twitter only to see more and more people there call you....um, what did Damon Graves...
Jacob: "a rancid sack of hyena crap".
Angeal then motioned at Jake with a disgusted look on his face.
Angeal: You see, I don't even know why you're even still there man. Fuckers like that Damon Graves fuck don't deserve to be in the same ring with someone who gives a shit about this profession to the degree that you do.
You've pretty much been turned into a singles guy with nobody wanting to back you there in OWM because of "reasons", I guess, and you deserve better than that and that in turn is why you had that feeling last night at the SRW event.
It's time for you to go and recapture that side of you, before you loose it all together man.
Jake silently took in everything that Angeal had been saying and quietly mulled it over as their lunch continued..
<TBC>
Wil: I still can't believe you missed your mark during our match, Rai.
Rai: I know, I know...but who took the pin again?
Rai smirks at the older man as Wil starts to sputter in reaction, meanwhile Piero has taken notice that Jake isn't bouncing puns off of Wil as usual and turns to regard the younger man who is standing off to one side and looking at his hands with a curious expression on his face.
Piero: Oi...everything alright, Jake?
===========================================
<Flashback to earlier in the night/Jake's Perspective>
Katrina goes over the top ropes, but her angle is wrong and I can see her actually getting hurt, then I'm catching her...that familiar weight in my arms again and an old feeling starts to burn its way through me, something two years dead maybe..
She blinks a couple of times and looks up at me with a confused then grateful look as fear of all things starts to sprint through my veins...how would she react when she finds out who it is under this mask?
Will she demand my head like Lillie Saint and Myojin have for their bullshit reasons?
Will she simply shake her head sadly and walk away?
She gives me a nervous smile like I've forgotten something before a shake my head and put her back up onto the ring apron, her booted feet touching it...
^With no-one wearing their real face^
^It's a without of emotion^
^And I've only got my brittle bones to break the fall^
I shake my head again to clear it as I enter the ring myself.
=======================================
Jake is taken out of his thoughts when he feels a hand on his shoulder and Jake then turns to see that Piero is looking at him with a concerned look on his face, meanwhile Wil and Rai are still talking off to the side.
Piero: Seriously though, are you alright man?
Jacob: Yeah, I was just thinking back to earlier in the night.
Piero nodded.
Piero: Yeah, I still can't believe that guys went in there and lost in their debut.
Jacob: Not all of us can have a great opening night, they'll pick things up.
Piero: I know they will, Jake. But my main concern is are you doing okay?
Jacob: Yeah, nothing that a little sleep couldn't fix.
==========================================================
The next day found Jake sitting at a table at Provinos, a Italian family restaurant, and waiting for his lunch as he enjoyed a fine Antipasta of breaded and fried artichoke hearts as he looked around the restaurant for a moment before he settled back into his chair.
Voice: So, what's up?
Jake turned and looked over at the other person who was sitting at the table with him.
Jacob: Sorry, Angeal. Still a little bit distracted about what happened last night.
Angeal shrugged just a little bit before picking up his glass and taking a small drink of his wine.
Angeal: Yeah, I saw that. It's good to see you actually get to have a little fun rather than just storming in and kicking ass like what has apparently become your norm.
Jacob: Yeah, don't even get me started on that. But I asked you to join me for lunch, Angeal, because I wanted to get your thoughts on something and I figured that if I asked my dad or any of the others in the family then I would only get half a straight answer...you know?
Angeal nodded his head as he understood perfectly as he knew the family quite well-having been trained by the "Old Man" himself and being close friends with Jake's oldest cousin. Never mind the fact that aside from Ryo, Uri, and Kain-Angeal was the closest thing that Jake had to a real confident or even an advisor.
Angeal: Agreed. So what is bothering you then?
Jake started to speak but he was stopped when the waitress brought them their respective meals-a nice plate of Cioppino for Angeal and a Cannelloni Del Mar for Jake and the two took a moment to tuck in before Jake continued.
Jacob: Last night after I caught Katrina...I felt a bit odd, like I was standing in the middle of a roaring bonfire or something.
Angeal: Well you did catch your ex girlfriend while wearing a mask after all, there is bound to still be some feelings there after all.
Jacob: Perhaps, but it wasn't just *that* I'm thinking. I felt like my old self again...you know, before all that shit with NFW?
Angeal: Okay, how so?
Jake set his fork down before dabbing at his mouth a little bit with his napkin.
Jacob: Like I didn't have to be the bastard anymore, that I could have fun and actually *wrestle* as opposed to *fight*...I mean yes, Katrina is there and there is some unfinished business but ignoring all of that, I honestly felt like I could be myself again in the ring.
Do you know how weird that was to feel?
Angeal took this in as he finished chewing and then took a swallow of his wine to help give him enough time to actually think as he thought back to how Jake was during that time, going from New Frontier Wrestling to World Wrestling Headquarters and not really making any headway in either place other than making an occasional friend or something more.
Angeal then remembered that mad dash to the hospital with Jake's mom after they had heard about that one match for WWH in New York City-yes, Jake was built like his father in his ability to take pure, raw punishment and keep going;
But when you take a shot like that and it's called a grade three concussion...yeah, that's your body's way of telling you to just "fucking stop already".
Angeal: Must had been pretty weird for you to bring up all that, but then again you really haven't had a chance to just wrestle since before and after that match in New York City, Jake. Maybe this company is what you really needed.
I mean I respect Banch and what he's done in the business, but his constantly pushing you as Dominion's alpha male heel hasn't helped you creatively or mentally I believe...not to mention what Cedric's been doing with you over in OWM...
Jacob: Hey, the man has enough trust and faith in me to let me run with his world title.
Angeal: Yes, that is true, Jake. But when was the last time that you were really given a chance to stand up and do something creatively there? When was the last time that you weren't checking your twitter only to see more and more people there call you....um, what did Damon Graves...
Jacob: "a rancid sack of hyena crap".
Angeal then motioned at Jake with a disgusted look on his face.
Angeal: You see, I don't even know why you're even still there man. Fuckers like that Damon Graves fuck don't deserve to be in the same ring with someone who gives a shit about this profession to the degree that you do.
You've pretty much been turned into a singles guy with nobody wanting to back you there in OWM because of "reasons", I guess, and you deserve better than that and that in turn is why you had that feeling last night at the SRW event.
It's time for you to go and recapture that side of you, before you loose it all together man.
Jake silently took in everything that Angeal had been saying and quietly mulled it over as their lunch continued..
<TBC>