Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2013 0:35:25 GMT -6
Remember when you were young
"Is he always so withdrawn, and irritable?" Ichi asked, being dragged around Los Angeles by Meryl. It was of little bother to him having to basically be her pack mule for a couple of bags of clothes she bought for the warmer side of America.
"It's just a phase he's in right now. If he isn't busy focusing on something he's locked up brooding. He's kind of like Batman. He's not the life of the party, but he knows exactly what he's doing. Just don't bother him too much." She assured him, walking down a shopping strip.
"But you told me to engage him, try and brighten up his day. I'm pretty sure he hates me now because I tried to watch an anime with him." Ichi sighed exasperatedly. A Robin he was not.
"I don't know if Kliff likes that stuff-"
"He does. Just not with me..." Ichi grumbled.
"Mmm... Well it's not going to be easy. He has plenty of reason to be bitter. He's been taking a lot of things out on himself for awhile. We'll go say hi to him ourselves after this." She sighed, concealing her worries.
"Over what? Because it seems like he spends more time worrying about that than the match he's in." Ichi looked over to her curiously, wanting to know as much of the man as he could absorb in hopes he could learn some breakthrough in the storm.
"Oh I'm sure he does worry more over her-... But don't worry about it. Kliff's more than capable of handling whatever Big Guy gets thrown his way. Trust me." She nodded, not so carefully leaning away from the subject of what keeps Kliff up at night. Aside from the obvious fact that he had a polyphasic sleep schedule.
"...It seems kind of important though to just be sitting around your house listening to Dark Side of The Moon and Depeche Mode all day." He stared off at the streets. So bright, so busy. He almost felt at home.
"Cooler heads prevail, kid. If I'm not worried, you don't get to be. Just remember that the man knows what he's doing. And he's not going to allow himself to fail."
You shone like the sun.
The camera flickered on and went into focus in a dim lit room, almost totally black. Only one viable light source was available, and it did nothing to illuminate the silhouette sitting in the center of the shot until the lights came blaring on. The camera refocused and Kliff Ulysses calmly leaned back in a chair finally began to be a clear image.
"And here we go again. Down familiar but less traveled roads. With Justin Brooks. This is a pleasant time, it is!" Kliff said with a faint grin beginning to emerge before fading away once again. "Though this time is almost assured to bring less pleasant surprise on a Brooks' behalf, and likely a more quaint glimpse of reminiscence. But that won't matter as they both will prove to lead down the same road to ruin. Along the same man's path of destruction." Kliff began to sit upright, resting an arm on his thigh and a hand on his knee.
"I have a lot of fond memories of Justin Brooks, actually. Like the sights I saw on the way down from a Hook and Ladder. And hearing about how glorious he is and how stupid I am- Really, classic comedy there." Kliff remarked, rolling his eyes as he rested his chin on his hand. "I remember him hailing himself as a King. An insurmountable ruler. The unbeatable conqueror that tremored the land in his wake. But since then it has been made vividly clear that this force standing before us is not unstoppable. The King bleeds. And it seems now much more easy than before." He sat upright, looking into the camera eye.
"It should be plain to see that right now, Brooks. You're in the straits of your career. You're motor's not running like it was. You're not burning that engine like you were merely months ago. From where I sit presently. You don't look very Big or Bad. Quite frankly, you don't look like you're in it now like you used to be." Kliff shook his hanging head. "Shame, really. There was a time where this young, wild, and ambitious heart yearned to slay a White Whale. But those times are past."
"Times have changed, and the times are strange indeed. You are no longer the force to be reckoned with, and I'm no longer the brash, brazen, grandiose, capricious little upstart who whisked his way through everyone with triumphant ease. The show's a little different and the characters have made their changes."
"You are still as pompous, still as entitled a bruiser you've always been. Still just as high on yourself as before and think you still deserve things dropped into your hands because of how amazing you are. But you just don't have that fresh glean. That facade has worn out and now everyone isn't as in awe as you want and need them to be for it to work. You got the bark, but the heat is gone and now everyone's taking their turns sizing you up. The surge of Power has waned and now Justin Brooks is down to earth. You're a little older and have gotten a little slower after that rush of hype filling you had run its course. But the ego remains and you can't get by just by swaggering and deriding everyone and talking yourself up by "Just being better" than anything. And trust me when I say I very much look forward to scrubbing out what's left of that." Kliff said, now getting up to stand as he began to feel invigorated.
"I'm a little older, and a lot colder. I'm not that punk playing at David and Goliath. I'm not the hot rookie of six months ago. I'm a very refined figure now. My focus isn't blown about by aimless quests, it's very finely tuned. My body, like my mind, have only continued to train. I've only gotten stronger, tougher, harder to keep down. My mind hasn't gotten any less smart, only a lot sharper. A lot more Cunning and understanding of what I can do, and what I need to do to get through you."
"You're still big, you're still powerful. You're still spry for a big guy but you'll never be able to keep the pace at me. You're still rough and got the chops, but you're still throwing blows like a street brawler and I have my eyes set on you like a prizefighter. I'm going in this with a very tight state of mind that will cut around your very unrefined advance. I'm the technician, I'm the performer. I'm the general and the soldier. I'm the mastermind, and the piece in play to achieve the goal. And I'm going to go through you like a cold, harsh wind." Kliff crept another solemn smile, this time lasting a bit longer.
"It's like I say. Every encounter is a whole new game. And you can't expect to come out of this one because you've conquered the same name before, or because you have some belief in superiority. Especially if you're rolling into this one after what Omar Wise did to you. If you couldn't survive that, then I hope you bring better than your A game with me. Because otherwise the storm is going to take you off your feet, big guy." Kliff began to pace about the chair slowly, carefully winding about the room.
"Last week, with Alex Brooks. I took on that name; The Humanoid Typhoon. But this week, I very much look forward to solidifying it. And you get to be the lucky man who wants to brave the tides and fight the fury headlong. Because we all know you can't help yourself. And I look forward to going through you on my way up through the Winter Road and right to the throat of Jon Collins." Kliff paused for a moment, gripping his hand into a fist before going back and approaching the camera.
"I'm no longer looking for something intangible. Some directionless cause I burned into myself to give my actions meaning. What I'm after, Who I'm after is very real. And I'm very set in tearing through anything that comes in between that. And this is where you're standing Brooks. And you're no mountain in my wake. You're just a Wall." His eyes grew cold, and focused.
"And I'm going to Tear Down The Wall. Brick by Big Bad Brick. Until you are exposed before your peers and all the world to see just how battered and beaten you are. And when I win I will have my boot over the remains, as I stare triumphantly at John Collins. Ready to tear out his heart and hold it over my head with the Title of this company." He grabbed the camera firmly, cutting the recording.
He took a weary breath, standing alone before going over to his laptop and scrolling through his library of music before he came onto something he found suitable. He pressed play, and sat back in his chair as The Wall began to play and he began to lose himself in his thoughts for awhile.
Now there's a look in your eyes.
Without knocking Meryl stepped in casually with Ichi in tow. The music blaring even louder than before.
"Honey! I'm home!" She called out to Kliff, scampering into the living room where he hadn't left. "Did you get anything done today or did you just listen to tunes?"
"I made a statement just a little bit ago. I think I made my point clear?" He said, looking up from his computer to see her smiling a mix of delight and concern.
"I hope you're not just sitting in here all day like some hermit. You're not going to get over this by stewing around and listening to such depressing music." she said, eying the player whilst she loomed over his side.
"Time heals everything." He told her. "Just be patient enough and your chance to make things right will come. Besides, it's not going to make me feel any better putting on a fake grin and acting stupid with the others."
"Maybe it'd help some things out. Like how you and Chris hate each other."
"That's just because Chris is an ass." Kliff shook his head.
"That may be,but you two are thriving on each others negativity." She cautioned.
"Good." He said dryly, looking at the unintentionally prying Ichi.
"Mr. Ulysses." Ichi stepped forward. "I know this may be out of bounds. But, I'm personally curious about knowing if it were true. That if you two were married?" Ichi inquired. The hairs stood up on Kliff's neck. Meryl's eyes exploded at Ichi, screaming at him to relent. But he wouldn't. "I remember hearing some things in your promos about the fact you had a wife. I never followed up on it. Is that why you're not all about partying like the others...?" His curious eyes sank as Kliff sharply pulled himself up. He turned around and marched at the exponentially more regretful for prying boy. Before he had finally made his approach, visibly bent on striking the boy he took a very deep breath. And he sighed in a deep pain before glaring back into Ichi's eyes.
"I have a match I have to get ready for...." He said, making a retreat to the gym. The only other place he felt comfortable dealing with his problems. Ichi was frozen, utterly mortified.
"You dumbass!" Meryl shouted, throwing a pillow at his face. "What the hell was going through your dumb FUCKING head!?"
"I'm sorry!" Ichi groveled to her and his knees. "I don't know. I just thought you two were-... I thought it was a Rock Star thing!"
"Do you know ANYTHING about being a Rock Star? No. Then don't you EVER make an assumption like that. EVER!" She screamed, storming off to the second room. Her unofficial room.
"I'm sorry..." Ichi muttered, sitting alone on the floor in a stupor of embarrassment. He could hear Meryl stomping about and shifting around for a while. Before finally settling down. After an extended isolation, she stepped out. Noticing he was still there, almost like a lost puppy she sighed, stepping over to him.
"Don't beat yourself up over it. But... That just wasn't cool. He's got some serious problems.... With his marriage. And things haven't been going well for him." She put a hand on his wilted shoulder. "He'll simmer down on his own. But you be sure to deal with it. Because if you don't he WILL hold it against you. Trust me." She sighed, picking him up. "Come on. Let's go get some ice cream."
"I'm sorry. But I'm not a child. Ice cream just isn't going to make me feel better..." Ichi said self consciously.
"Shut up. Of course it will." She shook her head, dragging him along. "Besides, it's mostly for me." She said with a faint, trying to lighten him up. It was mostly true. Ice Cream was comforting. But it also helped to get Ichi out of the apartment before he returned.
Like black holes in the sky.
"Is he always so withdrawn, and irritable?" Ichi asked, being dragged around Los Angeles by Meryl. It was of little bother to him having to basically be her pack mule for a couple of bags of clothes she bought for the warmer side of America.
"It's just a phase he's in right now. If he isn't busy focusing on something he's locked up brooding. He's kind of like Batman. He's not the life of the party, but he knows exactly what he's doing. Just don't bother him too much." She assured him, walking down a shopping strip.
"But you told me to engage him, try and brighten up his day. I'm pretty sure he hates me now because I tried to watch an anime with him." Ichi sighed exasperatedly. A Robin he was not.
"I don't know if Kliff likes that stuff-"
"He does. Just not with me..." Ichi grumbled.
"Mmm... Well it's not going to be easy. He has plenty of reason to be bitter. He's been taking a lot of things out on himself for awhile. We'll go say hi to him ourselves after this." She sighed, concealing her worries.
"Over what? Because it seems like he spends more time worrying about that than the match he's in." Ichi looked over to her curiously, wanting to know as much of the man as he could absorb in hopes he could learn some breakthrough in the storm.
"Oh I'm sure he does worry more over her-... But don't worry about it. Kliff's more than capable of handling whatever Big Guy gets thrown his way. Trust me." She nodded, not so carefully leaning away from the subject of what keeps Kliff up at night. Aside from the obvious fact that he had a polyphasic sleep schedule.
"...It seems kind of important though to just be sitting around your house listening to Dark Side of The Moon and Depeche Mode all day." He stared off at the streets. So bright, so busy. He almost felt at home.
"Cooler heads prevail, kid. If I'm not worried, you don't get to be. Just remember that the man knows what he's doing. And he's not going to allow himself to fail."
You shone like the sun.
The camera flickered on and went into focus in a dim lit room, almost totally black. Only one viable light source was available, and it did nothing to illuminate the silhouette sitting in the center of the shot until the lights came blaring on. The camera refocused and Kliff Ulysses calmly leaned back in a chair finally began to be a clear image.
"And here we go again. Down familiar but less traveled roads. With Justin Brooks. This is a pleasant time, it is!" Kliff said with a faint grin beginning to emerge before fading away once again. "Though this time is almost assured to bring less pleasant surprise on a Brooks' behalf, and likely a more quaint glimpse of reminiscence. But that won't matter as they both will prove to lead down the same road to ruin. Along the same man's path of destruction." Kliff began to sit upright, resting an arm on his thigh and a hand on his knee.
"I have a lot of fond memories of Justin Brooks, actually. Like the sights I saw on the way down from a Hook and Ladder. And hearing about how glorious he is and how stupid I am- Really, classic comedy there." Kliff remarked, rolling his eyes as he rested his chin on his hand. "I remember him hailing himself as a King. An insurmountable ruler. The unbeatable conqueror that tremored the land in his wake. But since then it has been made vividly clear that this force standing before us is not unstoppable. The King bleeds. And it seems now much more easy than before." He sat upright, looking into the camera eye.
"It should be plain to see that right now, Brooks. You're in the straits of your career. You're motor's not running like it was. You're not burning that engine like you were merely months ago. From where I sit presently. You don't look very Big or Bad. Quite frankly, you don't look like you're in it now like you used to be." Kliff shook his hanging head. "Shame, really. There was a time where this young, wild, and ambitious heart yearned to slay a White Whale. But those times are past."
"Times have changed, and the times are strange indeed. You are no longer the force to be reckoned with, and I'm no longer the brash, brazen, grandiose, capricious little upstart who whisked his way through everyone with triumphant ease. The show's a little different and the characters have made their changes."
"You are still as pompous, still as entitled a bruiser you've always been. Still just as high on yourself as before and think you still deserve things dropped into your hands because of how amazing you are. But you just don't have that fresh glean. That facade has worn out and now everyone isn't as in awe as you want and need them to be for it to work. You got the bark, but the heat is gone and now everyone's taking their turns sizing you up. The surge of Power has waned and now Justin Brooks is down to earth. You're a little older and have gotten a little slower after that rush of hype filling you had run its course. But the ego remains and you can't get by just by swaggering and deriding everyone and talking yourself up by "Just being better" than anything. And trust me when I say I very much look forward to scrubbing out what's left of that." Kliff said, now getting up to stand as he began to feel invigorated.
"I'm a little older, and a lot colder. I'm not that punk playing at David and Goliath. I'm not the hot rookie of six months ago. I'm a very refined figure now. My focus isn't blown about by aimless quests, it's very finely tuned. My body, like my mind, have only continued to train. I've only gotten stronger, tougher, harder to keep down. My mind hasn't gotten any less smart, only a lot sharper. A lot more Cunning and understanding of what I can do, and what I need to do to get through you."
"You're still big, you're still powerful. You're still spry for a big guy but you'll never be able to keep the pace at me. You're still rough and got the chops, but you're still throwing blows like a street brawler and I have my eyes set on you like a prizefighter. I'm going in this with a very tight state of mind that will cut around your very unrefined advance. I'm the technician, I'm the performer. I'm the general and the soldier. I'm the mastermind, and the piece in play to achieve the goal. And I'm going to go through you like a cold, harsh wind." Kliff crept another solemn smile, this time lasting a bit longer.
"It's like I say. Every encounter is a whole new game. And you can't expect to come out of this one because you've conquered the same name before, or because you have some belief in superiority. Especially if you're rolling into this one after what Omar Wise did to you. If you couldn't survive that, then I hope you bring better than your A game with me. Because otherwise the storm is going to take you off your feet, big guy." Kliff began to pace about the chair slowly, carefully winding about the room.
"Last week, with Alex Brooks. I took on that name; The Humanoid Typhoon. But this week, I very much look forward to solidifying it. And you get to be the lucky man who wants to brave the tides and fight the fury headlong. Because we all know you can't help yourself. And I look forward to going through you on my way up through the Winter Road and right to the throat of Jon Collins." Kliff paused for a moment, gripping his hand into a fist before going back and approaching the camera.
"I'm no longer looking for something intangible. Some directionless cause I burned into myself to give my actions meaning. What I'm after, Who I'm after is very real. And I'm very set in tearing through anything that comes in between that. And this is where you're standing Brooks. And you're no mountain in my wake. You're just a Wall." His eyes grew cold, and focused.
"And I'm going to Tear Down The Wall. Brick by Big Bad Brick. Until you are exposed before your peers and all the world to see just how battered and beaten you are. And when I win I will have my boot over the remains, as I stare triumphantly at John Collins. Ready to tear out his heart and hold it over my head with the Title of this company." He grabbed the camera firmly, cutting the recording.
He took a weary breath, standing alone before going over to his laptop and scrolling through his library of music before he came onto something he found suitable. He pressed play, and sat back in his chair as The Wall began to play and he began to lose himself in his thoughts for awhile.
Now there's a look in your eyes.
Hey you, standing in the road
always doing what you're told,
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall,
Breaking bottles in the hall,
Can you help me?
Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall.
always doing what you're told,
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall,
Breaking bottles in the hall,
Can you help me?
Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall.
Without knocking Meryl stepped in casually with Ichi in tow. The music blaring even louder than before.
"Honey! I'm home!" She called out to Kliff, scampering into the living room where he hadn't left. "Did you get anything done today or did you just listen to tunes?"
"I made a statement just a little bit ago. I think I made my point clear?" He said, looking up from his computer to see her smiling a mix of delight and concern.
"I hope you're not just sitting in here all day like some hermit. You're not going to get over this by stewing around and listening to such depressing music." she said, eying the player whilst she loomed over his side.
"Time heals everything." He told her. "Just be patient enough and your chance to make things right will come. Besides, it's not going to make me feel any better putting on a fake grin and acting stupid with the others."
"Maybe it'd help some things out. Like how you and Chris hate each other."
"That's just because Chris is an ass." Kliff shook his head.
"That may be,but you two are thriving on each others negativity." She cautioned.
"Good." He said dryly, looking at the unintentionally prying Ichi.
"Mr. Ulysses." Ichi stepped forward. "I know this may be out of bounds. But, I'm personally curious about knowing if it were true. That if you two were married?" Ichi inquired. The hairs stood up on Kliff's neck. Meryl's eyes exploded at Ichi, screaming at him to relent. But he wouldn't. "I remember hearing some things in your promos about the fact you had a wife. I never followed up on it. Is that why you're not all about partying like the others...?" His curious eyes sank as Kliff sharply pulled himself up. He turned around and marched at the exponentially more regretful for prying boy. Before he had finally made his approach, visibly bent on striking the boy he took a very deep breath. And he sighed in a deep pain before glaring back into Ichi's eyes.
"I have a match I have to get ready for...." He said, making a retreat to the gym. The only other place he felt comfortable dealing with his problems. Ichi was frozen, utterly mortified.
"You dumbass!" Meryl shouted, throwing a pillow at his face. "What the hell was going through your dumb FUCKING head!?"
"I'm sorry!" Ichi groveled to her and his knees. "I don't know. I just thought you two were-... I thought it was a Rock Star thing!"
"Do you know ANYTHING about being a Rock Star? No. Then don't you EVER make an assumption like that. EVER!" She screamed, storming off to the second room. Her unofficial room.
"I'm sorry..." Ichi muttered, sitting alone on the floor in a stupor of embarrassment. He could hear Meryl stomping about and shifting around for a while. Before finally settling down. After an extended isolation, she stepped out. Noticing he was still there, almost like a lost puppy she sighed, stepping over to him.
"Don't beat yourself up over it. But... That just wasn't cool. He's got some serious problems.... With his marriage. And things haven't been going well for him." She put a hand on his wilted shoulder. "He'll simmer down on his own. But you be sure to deal with it. Because if you don't he WILL hold it against you. Trust me." She sighed, picking him up. "Come on. Let's go get some ice cream."
"I'm sorry. But I'm not a child. Ice cream just isn't going to make me feel better..." Ichi said self consciously.
"Shut up. Of course it will." She shook her head, dragging him along. "Besides, it's mostly for me." She said with a faint, trying to lighten him up. It was mostly true. Ice Cream was comforting. But it also helped to get Ichi out of the apartment before he returned.
Like black holes in the sky.