Post by shawnwarstein on Jan 31, 2024 10:56:29 GMT -5
“Hello Thunder Pro Wrestling.”
“For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few years, please allow me to introduce myself.”
“I am Shawn Warstein.”
“A lightning rod of a human. A man who can garner the attention of everyone in the room without muttering a single word. I’ve spoiled you all, well Cashe spoiled it all for you. I can’t help but apologize for my cohort. He’s a bit on the antsy side.”
“Now I’m sure some of you are asking yourselves, how did we get to this point? How could someone I despise so much get me to agree to be on his team here in the SEX cup?”
“It’s known that he and I don’t see eye to eye. Taken shots at one another. It was never about him. It was always about Sloane.”
“My friend.”
“You see, what people need to understand is that I will always answer the call from a friend. She knew this. Hell she even knew that I wouldn’t be so accommodating to her request. She knew that I would tell her definitively…”
“Yes?”
“That’s the hook in all of this. In order for me to protect my friends, I have to be by my friends. I’m not saying that Sloane is incapable of taking care of herself, she definitely is, but since her bestie has been around. Things have happened. Things that I can no longer allow. Torching your world for warmth is what I’ve done and a mistake when seen in hindsight. I’m here to try and show them both the right decision.”
“I’m here because she asked.”
“Not him.”
——————
The look on Kasey’s face was one of bewilderment. As she leans on the counter in the kitchen across from me, I could see her mind working a millions miles an hour. She has her own issues that she needs to deal with and I’m ashamed that she even needs to worry about me for one second longer than necessary.
For those unaware, Kasey Vex is my long time girlfriend, she’s essentially my center. She steers me in the right direction, whether I veer off the path is my own dumbass choice. She’s stood with me through the worst of times. She’s seen me damn near rock bottom and never faltered. Kasey is so much stronger than I ever give her credit for and eventually I’ll show her how much she truly means to me. “I don’t know Shawn. Are you sure this is where you want to make your grand return to wrestling?”
I smirk and chuckle slightly. “Want to? No. Need to?” I pause for dramatic effect and smirk. “Also no, but the journey back always starts with the first step.”
“Cut the Poop Shawn.” Kasey shakes her head.“Enough of the philosophical bullshit. You’re not the smartest person in the room all the time.”
“I mean most of the time I am.” I say while Kasey curls her lips.
“Not when I’m in the room you’re not.” Kasey licks her lips and sucks in air through her teeth before continuing. “You think I don’t see it don’t you? You always forget that I can see right through you. I can read you like Harry Potter.”
I scrunch my face and tilt my head. “Why dear, I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. Please enlighten me.”
“You saw what happened between Sebastian and Sloane and you see yourself don’t you?” She places a hand on her hip.
“What?” I am immediately caught off guard. I fumble with my words for a moment. “I— huh—- what? No.”
“Shawn, you can’t hide. Not from me.” Kasey raises her eyes towards me.
I sigh. “Fine. Maybe a little bit, but that’s a me thing, not a you thing.”
Kasey smiles. “Of course it’s not a me thing. I’m an absolute joy to be around.”
“Yup and not conceited at all.” I jokingly prod her.
“When it’s true it’s not conceited, it’s called being realistic. You taught me that.” Kasey grabs me by the waist and pulls me into a hug. “We aren’t them. I don’t like seeing you put yourself in other people’s shoes, when you need to concentrate on your own problems.”
I gently push Kasey back. “What do you mean, my problems?”
Kasey looks slightly confused. “You know what I meant. You always put so much pressure on yourself that eventually you break. Then you fly down to Mexico for months on end and none of your friends can even get a hold of you.”
“That’s categorically untrue.” I pull out my phone and begin scrolling my contacts. “Look at all of them. Each one has an AA next to their names. A.A. Always Answer. Remember love, the phone works both ways. If they wanted to reach out they would.”
“You’re missing the point Shawn.” Kasey grabs my phone and begins going through the call log. “And exactly how many times did Sloane call before you eventually answered? How many times has Noah called? Hmm? Both of them are AA. And yet you didn’t even pick up to wish your own son a Merry Christmas.”
I angrily snatch my phone from Kasey’s hand. “That’s different. He doesn’t want to talk to me. He’s better off pretending I’m dead. He is better off without me.”
“Wrong, but I can see you’re going to be stubborn about this.” Kasey turns around and begins walking out of the kitchen. “Just promise me that you won’t do anything stupid.”
I smile. “You know me.”
Kasey pauses and shakes her head. “That’s why I said it. I do know you.”
Kasey disappears into the rest of the home leaving me staring at my phone. I cautiously grab it and scroll through the contacts.
“Now for those of you who are ill informed, I do have a track record with TPW.”
“I know it’s crazy right!?”
“Now yes, it’s true that I have never stepped foot inside of a ring there, but as the doors were opening I was met with a call from Mr. Terry Marshall himself. Wanting the best and brightest for his promotion. And whose name was at the top of that list? Well it was, at the time, free agent Shawn Warstein.”
“Do you know what I told him?”
“It’s not difficult to ascertain. I haven’t wrestled here before.”
“I said no of course. I then went on to be the face of Fight. I was in Main Event after Main Event in all of those Egomaniacal Vanity shows.”
“I was a champion time and time again, in promotion after promotion. It all became so tiresome. I wanted to just get away and disappear. So after Arcadia I did just that. I became a shell of myself.”
“I wasn’t who I thought I was.”
“I was no longer Shawn Warstein, professional wrestler. I was Shawn Warstein, an addict.”
“I became addicted to revenge. It consumed me. It became my being. Then the time never came to pass and I was left with nothing.”
“No more wars to fight. No more battles to rush head first into.”
“You see Blood Omen, the two of you are going to get a very peculiar Shawn.”
“One that I haven’t been for so very long. I’ve been the measuring stick in Company after Company. It feels good to finally face some people that have absolutely no clue what they are rushing towards.”
“The SEX Cup is a goal, but it’s not the goal.”
“I’m here to remind myself what I can do in that ring on any given night. With any given partner. I’m here to show that I have always been the torch bearer. I’ve been in battle after battle. Covered in blood and sweat. I’ve always come out on the other side. Bigger, Stronger and Faster.”
“So to the Panda boy, and the pretty boy. Take all the time you need. Make sure you get your houses in order. Take your Blood Oath and pray to whatever deity you need for strength.”
“It doesn’t bother me one bit. I wasn’t born in bloodshed but I certainly have no problem bathing in it.”
I toss the phone in my hand a few times before finally deciding on making a non-insignificant phone call.
The phone rings for a few moments before someone on the other side answers. “Yeah boss, what’s up?”
“Are the stooges there?” I ask quite simply. The answer should be a quick one but I notice a moment of hesitation. “Come on Derek, I don’t have all day.”
Still there was a moment of pause from Derek. “Well about them.”
“What’s the problem?” I growl into the phone.
“Well—” Derek sighs. “They were sick of not being on the frontlines and they walked out.”
I take in a deep breath and attempt to compose myself. “What part of, keep them under contract until needed, do you not understand? They failed last go round and now it’s time for redemption. Everyone loves a good redemption story.”
Derek clears his throat. “Look man, it took me a long time to get to Cambodia and get you in the door there. It took me a long time to track these guys down. If they don’t want to do it we can’t force them.”
“Yes. Yes we can.” I say with very little vibrato in my voice. “Call them and set a meeting with me. Tell them that I have work for them.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do.” Derek responds.
I hang up the phone and glance up to see Kasey walking back into the kitchen. She somehow already packed for her trip back to Japan. “Ready to go already?”
Kasey looks down at her bag and then back to me. “Well it’s become a weekly thing for me to be traveling all around. Pack light and carry a big stick, or something like that.”
“That’s my girl.”I stand up from the table and grab the keys to my truck. “Let’s get you to the airport.”
Kasey picks up her bag and tosses it into my arms. “So there’s no way I can convince you to come along?”
I catch the bag as I walk towards her. I give her a kiss on the cheek and a smile. “Not this time love.”
“For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few years, please allow me to introduce myself.”
“I am Shawn Warstein.”
“A lightning rod of a human. A man who can garner the attention of everyone in the room without muttering a single word. I’ve spoiled you all, well Cashe spoiled it all for you. I can’t help but apologize for my cohort. He’s a bit on the antsy side.”
“Now I’m sure some of you are asking yourselves, how did we get to this point? How could someone I despise so much get me to agree to be on his team here in the SEX cup?”
“It’s known that he and I don’t see eye to eye. Taken shots at one another. It was never about him. It was always about Sloane.”
“My friend.”
“You see, what people need to understand is that I will always answer the call from a friend. She knew this. Hell she even knew that I wouldn’t be so accommodating to her request. She knew that I would tell her definitively…”
“Yes?”
“That’s the hook in all of this. In order for me to protect my friends, I have to be by my friends. I’m not saying that Sloane is incapable of taking care of herself, she definitely is, but since her bestie has been around. Things have happened. Things that I can no longer allow. Torching your world for warmth is what I’ve done and a mistake when seen in hindsight. I’m here to try and show them both the right decision.”
“I’m here because she asked.”
“Not him.”
——————
The look on Kasey’s face was one of bewilderment. As she leans on the counter in the kitchen across from me, I could see her mind working a millions miles an hour. She has her own issues that she needs to deal with and I’m ashamed that she even needs to worry about me for one second longer than necessary.
For those unaware, Kasey Vex is my long time girlfriend, she’s essentially my center. She steers me in the right direction, whether I veer off the path is my own dumbass choice. She’s stood with me through the worst of times. She’s seen me damn near rock bottom and never faltered. Kasey is so much stronger than I ever give her credit for and eventually I’ll show her how much she truly means to me. “I don’t know Shawn. Are you sure this is where you want to make your grand return to wrestling?”
I smirk and chuckle slightly. “Want to? No. Need to?” I pause for dramatic effect and smirk. “Also no, but the journey back always starts with the first step.”
“Cut the Poop Shawn.” Kasey shakes her head.“Enough of the philosophical bullshit. You’re not the smartest person in the room all the time.”
“I mean most of the time I am.” I say while Kasey curls her lips.
“Not when I’m in the room you’re not.” Kasey licks her lips and sucks in air through her teeth before continuing. “You think I don’t see it don’t you? You always forget that I can see right through you. I can read you like Harry Potter.”
I scrunch my face and tilt my head. “Why dear, I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. Please enlighten me.”
“You saw what happened between Sebastian and Sloane and you see yourself don’t you?” She places a hand on her hip.
“What?” I am immediately caught off guard. I fumble with my words for a moment. “I— huh—- what? No.”
“Shawn, you can’t hide. Not from me.” Kasey raises her eyes towards me.
I sigh. “Fine. Maybe a little bit, but that’s a me thing, not a you thing.”
Kasey smiles. “Of course it’s not a me thing. I’m an absolute joy to be around.”
“Yup and not conceited at all.” I jokingly prod her.
“When it’s true it’s not conceited, it’s called being realistic. You taught me that.” Kasey grabs me by the waist and pulls me into a hug. “We aren’t them. I don’t like seeing you put yourself in other people’s shoes, when you need to concentrate on your own problems.”
I gently push Kasey back. “What do you mean, my problems?”
Kasey looks slightly confused. “You know what I meant. You always put so much pressure on yourself that eventually you break. Then you fly down to Mexico for months on end and none of your friends can even get a hold of you.”
“That’s categorically untrue.” I pull out my phone and begin scrolling my contacts. “Look at all of them. Each one has an AA next to their names. A.A. Always Answer. Remember love, the phone works both ways. If they wanted to reach out they would.”
“You’re missing the point Shawn.” Kasey grabs my phone and begins going through the call log. “And exactly how many times did Sloane call before you eventually answered? How many times has Noah called? Hmm? Both of them are AA. And yet you didn’t even pick up to wish your own son a Merry Christmas.”
I angrily snatch my phone from Kasey’s hand. “That’s different. He doesn’t want to talk to me. He’s better off pretending I’m dead. He is better off without me.”
“Wrong, but I can see you’re going to be stubborn about this.” Kasey turns around and begins walking out of the kitchen. “Just promise me that you won’t do anything stupid.”
I smile. “You know me.”
Kasey pauses and shakes her head. “That’s why I said it. I do know you.”
Kasey disappears into the rest of the home leaving me staring at my phone. I cautiously grab it and scroll through the contacts.
——————
“Now for those of you who are ill informed, I do have a track record with TPW.”
“I know it’s crazy right!?”
“Now yes, it’s true that I have never stepped foot inside of a ring there, but as the doors were opening I was met with a call from Mr. Terry Marshall himself. Wanting the best and brightest for his promotion. And whose name was at the top of that list? Well it was, at the time, free agent Shawn Warstein.”
“Do you know what I told him?”
“It’s not difficult to ascertain. I haven’t wrestled here before.”
“I said no of course. I then went on to be the face of Fight. I was in Main Event after Main Event in all of those Egomaniacal Vanity shows.”
“I was a champion time and time again, in promotion after promotion. It all became so tiresome. I wanted to just get away and disappear. So after Arcadia I did just that. I became a shell of myself.”
“I wasn’t who I thought I was.”
“I was no longer Shawn Warstein, professional wrestler. I was Shawn Warstein, an addict.”
“I became addicted to revenge. It consumed me. It became my being. Then the time never came to pass and I was left with nothing.”
“No more wars to fight. No more battles to rush head first into.”
“You see Blood Omen, the two of you are going to get a very peculiar Shawn.”
“One that I haven’t been for so very long. I’ve been the measuring stick in Company after Company. It feels good to finally face some people that have absolutely no clue what they are rushing towards.”
“The SEX Cup is a goal, but it’s not the goal.”
“I’m here to remind myself what I can do in that ring on any given night. With any given partner. I’m here to show that I have always been the torch bearer. I’ve been in battle after battle. Covered in blood and sweat. I’ve always come out on the other side. Bigger, Stronger and Faster.”
“So to the Panda boy, and the pretty boy. Take all the time you need. Make sure you get your houses in order. Take your Blood Oath and pray to whatever deity you need for strength.”
“It doesn’t bother me one bit. I wasn’t born in bloodshed but I certainly have no problem bathing in it.”
——————
I toss the phone in my hand a few times before finally deciding on making a non-insignificant phone call.
The phone rings for a few moments before someone on the other side answers. “Yeah boss, what’s up?”
“Are the stooges there?” I ask quite simply. The answer should be a quick one but I notice a moment of hesitation. “Come on Derek, I don’t have all day.”
Still there was a moment of pause from Derek. “Well about them.”
“What’s the problem?” I growl into the phone.
“Well—” Derek sighs. “They were sick of not being on the frontlines and they walked out.”
I take in a deep breath and attempt to compose myself. “What part of, keep them under contract until needed, do you not understand? They failed last go round and now it’s time for redemption. Everyone loves a good redemption story.”
Derek clears his throat. “Look man, it took me a long time to get to Cambodia and get you in the door there. It took me a long time to track these guys down. If they don’t want to do it we can’t force them.”
“Yes. Yes we can.” I say with very little vibrato in my voice. “Call them and set a meeting with me. Tell them that I have work for them.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do.” Derek responds.
I hang up the phone and glance up to see Kasey walking back into the kitchen. She somehow already packed for her trip back to Japan. “Ready to go already?”
Kasey looks down at her bag and then back to me. “Well it’s become a weekly thing for me to be traveling all around. Pack light and carry a big stick, or something like that.”
“That’s my girl.”I stand up from the table and grab the keys to my truck. “Let’s get you to the airport.”
Kasey picks up her bag and tosses it into my arms. “So there’s no way I can convince you to come along?”
I catch the bag as I walk towards her. I give her a kiss on the cheek and a smile. “Not this time love.”
