Post by The Anarchist on Jul 26, 2017 7:29:11 GMT -5
Saniti rolls Seromine in place over the cardboard cutout of the crucifix, and he begins using hat pins to secure Seromine in an arms splayed out crucifix pose as he's laid out on the cardboard. The followers are going crazy on the outside, exhorting their Messiah to wake up.
Jerry Andrews: Interesting twist by Saniti! He's literally pinning Seromine to the crucifix with those hat pins!
Ace Anderson: I can’t believe what I'm seeing right now. This is either madness or brilliance.
Seromine offers no more resistance, and finally, Saniti steps back, holding his hands out in a magician’s flourish. The referee, noting that Saniti followed the letter of the law if not the spirit, deliberates before calling for the bell.
Nathan Saniti:I offer my enemies the mercy they wouldn’t offer me.
DING DING DING!
Sasha Greene: Here is your winner... and NEW UNIFIED INTERNATIONAL AND NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION... NATHAN... SANITI!!
"Monster" by Imagine Dragons plays, and the entourage of Saniti comes out as Saniti is handed both belts. He can't lift his wounded, nailed hand from under his armpit, and he's bleeding quite profusely. Seromine's followers are in mourning at ringside, and some are trying to slide the cardboard cross with Seromine pinned on it out of the ring and pry him off.
Rewind.
Sasha Greene: Here is your winner... and NEW UNIFIED INTERNATIONAL AND NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION... NATHAN... SANITI!!
Rewind.
Sasha Greene: Here is your winner... NATHAN... SANITI!!
Rewind.
Jerry Andrews: Interesting twist by Saniti! He's literally pinning Seromine to the crucifix with those hat pins!
Ace Anderson: I can’t believe what I'm seeing right now. This is either madness or brilliance.
Pause.
I was being consumed by the outcome of Living a Legacy. One of us had to lose in that manner and that one was me. I couldn’t shake the imagery of it. I didn’t give a shit about being called International Champion. Titles come and go. Nathan had agreed to not use his hatpins against Gabriel at Return to Glory. Great. A moral victory. A hollow one as well.
Maybe consumed is a wrong choice of word. I was playing the final moments of our only encounter to remind myself of what it felt like to lose to him. Because I would now have two chances to procure victory. The International...excuse me, North American title won’t be on the line. It didn’t need to be. I didn’t want it to be. So I waved my rematch clause before the last show went on air.
What I wanted, I got, and now I could make Nathan Saniti pay the piper. A win didn’t matter to me. A loss was of no damage to my legacy. I was going to have the potential of three times to beat the magic out of the magician. The constant rewind of the tape was gasoline on the fire. My eyes were unhappy with me. I could feel the eyelid rebellion trying to close the windows.
Not yet. I’m not done.
The children had long been in bed. Destiny had asked me to join her, and initially I followed. I had to be quiet in leaving. Real Mission Impossible like in getting from the bedroom to the living room. I turned the volume down as far as needed on the TV. I didn’t need to hear it. I knew what was being said. I just needed to see it. To relive it. To feel the same animosity I had then, for our last showdown now.
I kept the video paused on his bloody triumph and studied. It helped block the loss to Whitey Ford out. A loss of which I was still feeling on the back of my head. Ford is lucky I didn’t hit my DDT and snap his spine into the fucking canvas. But, he was the world champion for a reason and I didn’t feel ashamed in losing to him. No. Nathan is the bullseye on the target and I’m a skilled archer.
My concentration broke after scoffing at the visual. This allowed my eyes to look at something other than the box glaring at me. They fixated on framed photos of Destiny and our children through the years. It was getting hard to believe how fast time has flown. I further distanced myself from the rigors of work by remembering times with my greatest loves.
My mind raced though. There were nights, like this one, it didn’t want to shut off. Not just because Nathan got his way once more with the so-called “President,” but because I had the future to think about. I had promised Destiny before Battlebowl, that I would take a break following it. That obviously didn’t happen. She understood the nature of things, but still voiced her displeasure and concern. Always my voice of reason. We luckily didn’t have to travel on the road every week. A new city in another state like the early years of my career.
No. My future, as before, was my time left in the ring. How much longer did I want to keep doing it? I stayed in the business longer than I ever imagined. I loved it. But I loved my family infinitely more. I knew the answer to my question. But first, I had to deal with the matter at hand. No, not the Icey awards. But how to win two-out-of three falls against my arch nemesis.
“Babe? What in the world are you doing up?”
Busted. I was startled out of my clothes by my wife. Then frozen in place by the sight of her hair being snuggled in rollers and a face with no make-up. I’m joking. Well, not the being startled part. I should have expected her arrival though. Destiny knew everything about me. There was no way of fooling her. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
She glared at the tv and then shot me the same look.
Play it cool, Jason.
“Can’t sleep. Clown will eat me.”
I feigned a smile, hoping a slight laugh would thaw the ice. Yeah no. Her expression was beginning to harden my body and before long, I may need to be placed in a museum.
“Do you know what time it is?”
“Yes. It’s twelve-thirty.”
She shook her head slightly. “Try again.”
“One?”
“TWO!”
I mouthed the number and cringed. I had been doing this for three hours. I stepped into the twilight zone and hadn’t returned. Destiny was the search party who just found me. We usually went to bed together. Not only that, we had to be up early for parental duties. Gone were the days spent being a night owl. Which was fine.
“I lost track of time, I’m sorry.”
Destiny sighed and promptly turned the television off. I watched her move to me. Felt her hand take my hand and followed as I was lead back to bed. God I love her.
It was water under the bridge by the time we woke in the morning. The girls were their usual selves. Nancy and Madeleine were excited to go to day camp. Autumn had wanted to go to the library, but decided to wait. Kristen hit the mall with a few friends, catching up on old times and enjoying her summer. She would be a junior in high school this year. It didn’t seem possible that my baby was going to be SIXTEEN in September!
And she was still in love with my best friend’s son. Another matter for another time.
Speaking of time, I had one last piece of business to handle. For that I set-up a tripod in the living room. Why this was being filmed, I had no goddamn clue. If nothing else, my children could do what they always do: watch and laugh at me. It was PROMO time!
“Nathan is being granted the chance to end my career! His bloodlust knows no end! First me. Then Gabriel. You were all too happy to oblige, weren’t you, Brandon?
First me. Then Gabriel. I tried to help the faithful. All of them. But they scoffed. Rejected. REJOICED in my downfall. So did this fucking company...” I would need to edit that f-bomb later “with the three letter name I’m not supposed to say.
P-C-W.
So fuck it.” Another edit. “I am a bringer of ANARCHY. Rules? Don’t care. Fines? Don’t bother me. Suspension? A mere vacation. Termination? My salvation. Seromine is here. But not the one you know, Nathan. I'm going to beat your a--”
Autumn walked into the shot, looking like a twelve year old version of Punky Brewster. My daughter liked to dress up from time to time. This latest one forced me to break character with stifled laughter. I needed to find my composure.
“Sweetheart, Daddy has work to do.”
“Oh. Ok. I guess I’ll leave you alone then.”
“Thank you. I just need another minute. After I’m done, I prom-”
“It’s not like I don’t have problems of my own to think about. Problems that could be helped by parental talk. I find that time spent being open and honest with the ones you love, is a good remedy for almost anything. But I’ll be ok. My growth may stunt. My youth, marred, by that one time I needed to talk, but had to take a number.”
The dramatics were being laid on thick here. Destiny was beside herself with laughter off camera. Autumn took it to a new level by placing her hand over her heart, leaning into me and looking up. “My children mean everything to me!” she mimicked my voice, but added extra body language for effect. Kristen was an expert in getting Destiny and I down to a science. But this was a good attempt.
Other than a “I just wanted to say Hi!” she had nothing. She was in a silly mood and wanted to see what would happen. Kids. Gotta love them.
Jerry Andrews: Interesting twist by Saniti! He's literally pinning Seromine to the crucifix with those hat pins!
Ace Anderson: I can’t believe what I'm seeing right now. This is either madness or brilliance.
Seromine offers no more resistance, and finally, Saniti steps back, holding his hands out in a magician’s flourish. The referee, noting that Saniti followed the letter of the law if not the spirit, deliberates before calling for the bell.
Nathan Saniti:I offer my enemies the mercy they wouldn’t offer me.
DING DING DING!
Sasha Greene: Here is your winner... and NEW UNIFIED INTERNATIONAL AND NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION... NATHAN... SANITI!!
"Monster" by Imagine Dragons plays, and the entourage of Saniti comes out as Saniti is handed both belts. He can't lift his wounded, nailed hand from under his armpit, and he's bleeding quite profusely. Seromine's followers are in mourning at ringside, and some are trying to slide the cardboard cross with Seromine pinned on it out of the ring and pry him off.
Rewind.
Sasha Greene: Here is your winner... and NEW UNIFIED INTERNATIONAL AND NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPION... NATHAN... SANITI!!
Rewind.
Sasha Greene: Here is your winner... NATHAN... SANITI!!
Rewind.
Jerry Andrews: Interesting twist by Saniti! He's literally pinning Seromine to the crucifix with those hat pins!
Ace Anderson: I can’t believe what I'm seeing right now. This is either madness or brilliance.
Pause.
I was being consumed by the outcome of Living a Legacy. One of us had to lose in that manner and that one was me. I couldn’t shake the imagery of it. I didn’t give a shit about being called International Champion. Titles come and go. Nathan had agreed to not use his hatpins against Gabriel at Return to Glory. Great. A moral victory. A hollow one as well.
Maybe consumed is a wrong choice of word. I was playing the final moments of our only encounter to remind myself of what it felt like to lose to him. Because I would now have two chances to procure victory. The International...excuse me, North American title won’t be on the line. It didn’t need to be. I didn’t want it to be. So I waved my rematch clause before the last show went on air.
What I wanted, I got, and now I could make Nathan Saniti pay the piper. A win didn’t matter to me. A loss was of no damage to my legacy. I was going to have the potential of three times to beat the magic out of the magician. The constant rewind of the tape was gasoline on the fire. My eyes were unhappy with me. I could feel the eyelid rebellion trying to close the windows.
Not yet. I’m not done.
The children had long been in bed. Destiny had asked me to join her, and initially I followed. I had to be quiet in leaving. Real Mission Impossible like in getting from the bedroom to the living room. I turned the volume down as far as needed on the TV. I didn’t need to hear it. I knew what was being said. I just needed to see it. To relive it. To feel the same animosity I had then, for our last showdown now.
I kept the video paused on his bloody triumph and studied. It helped block the loss to Whitey Ford out. A loss of which I was still feeling on the back of my head. Ford is lucky I didn’t hit my DDT and snap his spine into the fucking canvas. But, he was the world champion for a reason and I didn’t feel ashamed in losing to him. No. Nathan is the bullseye on the target and I’m a skilled archer.
My concentration broke after scoffing at the visual. This allowed my eyes to look at something other than the box glaring at me. They fixated on framed photos of Destiny and our children through the years. It was getting hard to believe how fast time has flown. I further distanced myself from the rigors of work by remembering times with my greatest loves.
My mind raced though. There were nights, like this one, it didn’t want to shut off. Not just because Nathan got his way once more with the so-called “President,” but because I had the future to think about. I had promised Destiny before Battlebowl, that I would take a break following it. That obviously didn’t happen. She understood the nature of things, but still voiced her displeasure and concern. Always my voice of reason. We luckily didn’t have to travel on the road every week. A new city in another state like the early years of my career.
No. My future, as before, was my time left in the ring. How much longer did I want to keep doing it? I stayed in the business longer than I ever imagined. I loved it. But I loved my family infinitely more. I knew the answer to my question. But first, I had to deal with the matter at hand. No, not the Icey awards. But how to win two-out-of three falls against my arch nemesis.
“Babe? What in the world are you doing up?”
Busted. I was startled out of my clothes by my wife. Then frozen in place by the sight of her hair being snuggled in rollers and a face with no make-up. I’m joking. Well, not the being startled part. I should have expected her arrival though. Destiny knew everything about me. There was no way of fooling her. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
She glared at the tv and then shot me the same look.
Play it cool, Jason.
“Can’t sleep. Clown will eat me.”
I feigned a smile, hoping a slight laugh would thaw the ice. Yeah no. Her expression was beginning to harden my body and before long, I may need to be placed in a museum.
“Do you know what time it is?”
“Yes. It’s twelve-thirty.”
She shook her head slightly. “Try again.”
“One?”
“TWO!”
I mouthed the number and cringed. I had been doing this for three hours. I stepped into the twilight zone and hadn’t returned. Destiny was the search party who just found me. We usually went to bed together. Not only that, we had to be up early for parental duties. Gone were the days spent being a night owl. Which was fine.
“I lost track of time, I’m sorry.”
Destiny sighed and promptly turned the television off. I watched her move to me. Felt her hand take my hand and followed as I was lead back to bed. God I love her.
It was water under the bridge by the time we woke in the morning. The girls were their usual selves. Nancy and Madeleine were excited to go to day camp. Autumn had wanted to go to the library, but decided to wait. Kristen hit the mall with a few friends, catching up on old times and enjoying her summer. She would be a junior in high school this year. It didn’t seem possible that my baby was going to be SIXTEEN in September!
And she was still in love with my best friend’s son. Another matter for another time.
Speaking of time, I had one last piece of business to handle. For that I set-up a tripod in the living room. Why this was being filmed, I had no goddamn clue. If nothing else, my children could do what they always do: watch and laugh at me. It was PROMO time!
“Nathan is being granted the chance to end my career! His bloodlust knows no end! First me. Then Gabriel. You were all too happy to oblige, weren’t you, Brandon?
First me. Then Gabriel. I tried to help the faithful. All of them. But they scoffed. Rejected. REJOICED in my downfall. So did this fucking company...” I would need to edit that f-bomb later “with the three letter name I’m not supposed to say.
P-C-W.
So fuck it.” Another edit. “I am a bringer of ANARCHY. Rules? Don’t care. Fines? Don’t bother me. Suspension? A mere vacation. Termination? My salvation. Seromine is here. But not the one you know, Nathan. I'm going to beat your a--”
Autumn walked into the shot, looking like a twelve year old version of Punky Brewster. My daughter liked to dress up from time to time. This latest one forced me to break character with stifled laughter. I needed to find my composure.
“Sweetheart, Daddy has work to do.”
“Oh. Ok. I guess I’ll leave you alone then.”
“Thank you. I just need another minute. After I’m done, I prom-”
“It’s not like I don’t have problems of my own to think about. Problems that could be helped by parental talk. I find that time spent being open and honest with the ones you love, is a good remedy for almost anything. But I’ll be ok. My growth may stunt. My youth, marred, by that one time I needed to talk, but had to take a number.”
The dramatics were being laid on thick here. Destiny was beside herself with laughter off camera. Autumn took it to a new level by placing her hand over her heart, leaning into me and looking up. “My children mean everything to me!” she mimicked my voice, but added extra body language for effect. Kristen was an expert in getting Destiny and I down to a science. But this was a good attempt.
Other than a “I just wanted to say Hi!” she had nothing. She was in a silly mood and wanted to see what would happen. Kids. Gotta love them.