Post by Roger Wright on Sept 17, 2019 10:44:42 GMT -6
Shane entered the home, the strong scent of Vanilla creeping into his nostrils, he smiled knowing that meant Anicka was here. For over the last week Roger and Marie had been in New Jersey with Anicka, and now they were back, Anicka included. Shane moved for the kitchen, a pot of coffee percolating from the smell it was hours old, but it wasn’t the smell that caught him, it was a muffled sound coming from the master bedroom. Setting his keys down, Shane moved for the door, gave it a knock, the muffled sounds grew louder.
“You two better be decent!” Shane announced, waiting for a good 10 seconds as the sounds picked up with intensity. “I have my eyes covered, hope you have covered up as well.” Shane pushed the door open and stepped into the room, the muffled sounds becoming clearly obvious that they were Roger, and he was gagged. Removing his hands, Shane gazed upon his friend.
Both arms were tied to the posts of the bed, both legs to the posts at the foot of the bed, he was stripped naked, gagged and wore nothing but a cowboy hat over his manhood. “What the fuck?” Shane asked as he moved forward and stood next to Roger. “You realize how god damn bad this would be if Marie came waltzing in here right now?” Roger just nodded all wide eyed back at Shane.
“How can you possibly think this is ok? Fuck Roger, I am getting tired of being the goddamn voice of reason, all the time I have to step in and set you on the right path. I mean fuck just when I was starting to think Ani was good for you, you go and do this.” Shane shook his head, half pacing next to the bed. “What the fuck do you have to say for yourself?” Shane looked at him and realized that he still had the gag in.
Shane pulls the gag out and Roger gasps. “For fucks sake about goddamn time. How about you untie me?” Roger looked at his arms.
“Dude, how did this even happen?” Shane asked as he began to untie Roger’s right arm.
“You really don’t want to know Shane, you really don’t want to know.” Roger said as he used the now free right hand to untie the left before sitting up and untying both feet. “Let’s just say that woman makes me want to do things I never dreamed of, and not in a bad way, but in a good way.” Roger’s lips parted and smiled at the thought of Anicka.
“I get it, I’ve seen that look before.” Shane just smiled and moved for the door. “Where are Anicka and Marie?” He asked.
“Went to the store. I was trying to tell ya that, but naw ya had to keep me all gagged up and go off about Marie finding me.” Roger kicked his legs over the side of the bed, holding the hat in place. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a shower.” Shane shut the door as Roger finished the statement, and Roger moved for the bathroom.
The water burst from the shower head, Roger stepped underneath, it and allowed it to cascade down his body, starting with the top of his head, and ending with his feet. He lathered up and got himself all clean, rinsing himself as he stood there.
A lot can go through a man’s mind, especially when he has so much to balance in this life. For the longest time it felt easy, the burden, the weight of my decisions, but now they carry with them a new level of torment. See, people talk about wanting to be champion, to be the best, but most of them truly don’t understand what that means, what comes with the territory. It isn’t just about being the best, or carrying around a fancy oversized gold belt. It’s about representing something, standing for something, and being the target of everyone.
See what they don’t tell you about being champion, is that your name becomes instant credibility, or at least people think it does. You have to deal with the Kyle Mansons of the world, saying your name simply because you are champion. Not that they know a damn thing about you. But it isn’t just you, it’s everyone you know, anyone you associate with, they become instantly targeted.
See that is the weight that people don’t understand, that people can’t handle. It’s not being champion, it’s being the target, and everyone around you being pulled into that target. Years ago Johnny and I went rounds, he couldn’t get to me by going at me, he knew it, so what did he do, he went at Shane, turned my best friend against me. It worked back then, but that’s the other thing you don’t get told, the thing you have to learn on your own. You have to figure out how to adapt, to overcome and be better. You don’t keep the title by being the same man every week, you keep it by overcoming all the obstacles and adapting as they come.
I’ve learned from the past, I won’t be living in it. Your record against me means two things right now Johnny, JACK AND SHIT!!!! History is just that, history. You can talk about it all you want, scream it as much as possible, shine it up and make it look real good, angle it to your favor. But the truth is, it doesn’t matter, it will never matter, and deep down inside you know it.
Maybe this time, for once in your life you can be original Johnny, say something that you haven’t said a thousand times, say it in a way that doesn’t make a child psychologist cringe. But alas we both know that isn’t how it will be. No you will do what you always do and that’s fine Johnny, because this time you aren’t getting in the ring with a man who is scared, with a man who is worried about losing to you. No this time you get into the ring with a man who just doesn’t goddamn care about what you have to say. So go do what you gotta do Johnny, tell the world what you need to, pump that ego up as big as you can get it. Come Cold Front it won’t matter, your words will mean nothing, they will have the same impact as a single snowflake on the pavement.
While Roger takes his shower, Shane moves for the couch, pulling out the laptop to run some numbers. Since Roger returned to the ring, Shane had taken everything over for the business, making the decisions, turning the profits, and ensuring that Roger’s legacy remained exactly what he wanted it to be. Sure it came with a big raise, but it also brought about the jokes, the whispers when no one else thought people were listening, Roger and Shane and their unspoken love. Because to those simple minded people in the world, what else could two men that were so close and grew up together possibly have than some forbidden love.
“Uncle Shane!!!!” Marie came charging into the living room, jumping onto the couch next to him. He hadn’t even heard the door, but he could smell the Vanilla as it wafted past him, Anicka carrying bags of groceries to the kitchen. “I made you something uncle Shane, let me go get it.” Marie jumped off the couch and charged up the stairs.
Seeing the chance, Shane turned turned to Anicka who was unpacking the groceries her and Marie had purchased. “What the hell were you thinking leaving Roger tied up like that in the bedroom?” Shane asked, accusation filling his words. “Marie could have walked in on him at anytime, do you really think that would have been a great way for her to find her dad?”
“Ani would never let that happen, Marie was with Ani the whole time. Beside Ani knew you would be along to let him out and if not, Ani would distract Marie and untie cowboy.” She knowingly winked at shane as she pulled out the lunchmeat, bread and some chips.
“And just how exactly where you going to distract Marie?” Shane stood up with an accusatory stature from the couch, his eyes fixed on Anicka.
“Ani would have sent her to the stables to ride until lunch. Besides, like Ani said, she knew you would be along to let him out.” Back to the food prep Anicka went, the door to Roger’s bedroom opening out and out walking Roger, just as Marie came barrelling down the stairs.
“Daddy!” Marie leapt off the bottom step into Roger’s arms. He spun her around, kissed her forehead and set her back down.
“Whatcha got there Peanut?” Roger knelt down to her level and looked at the bead bracelet that said best Uncle ever on it. “I think Shane is going to like that.”
“Me too.” She smiled a big smile and ran to the living room to give the bracelet to Shane, whose attention had turned from Anicka the moment Roger walked out of the bedroom.
“There you are beauty.” Roger wrapped his arms around Anicka’s waist, and kissed her neck softly as she continued making their lunch. “Someone has some payback coming later.” he whispered in her ear. The only response he received was a giant smile, and a soft shutter from Ani as she finished lunch.
LATER THAT DAY
A large sprawl of flowers fill the field, Roger leaned against a tree. Roger, Marie and Ani had just enjoyed a wonderful picnic together, and now Marie was running around in the field, picking flowers for Anicka, who sat on the blanket working with the flowers to make what could only be crowns for her and Marie.
Do you know what that is? It’s happiness, something you don’t even understand Johnny, because you place happiness on objects, measure it through achievements. But I’m a different breed, the objects don’t matter to me, because what I have you don’t win, it’s not a competition Johnny. See you can take this title, you can beat me in this ring, you can be champion but you will never be able to achieve what I have.
Deep down inside you know that though, you have spent your whole career trying to achieve it, your whole career trying to obtain it, you just didn’t know how. After this week at Cold Front you won’t still won’t know how, you still won’t get it, and sadly you never will. See while you think this title will bring you happiness, you will ultimately lose it, and then will find yourself in a place you hate being, you will find yourself as a loser.
It’s ok thought Johnny, losing isn’t the end of the world, it’s really just the beginning, but you won’t see it, no you will try and find a way to justify it in your mind. Maybe you had bad eggs for breakfast, so you had an upset stomach, that’s why you lost. Or maybe Blair didn’t relieve your tension well enough before the match, who knows, at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter. We will all know it’s not because you had some issue, it’s because you were fighting for the wrong thing.
You are coming to this match to win this title, that's it, it’s all that is on your mind. You don’t care if it’s me in the match, Ryan Pugh, or Jim from the supermarket. All you know is this title is what you want, nothing else. You can talk a big game, tell everyone you want to beat me, but that’s not the truth. No you want this title, because to you this belt makes you credible, but deep down you know that isn’t really true. The title doesn’t make the man, the man makes the title, and no man has ever made this title better than I do.
Deep down inside that is what really kills you. No matter how you twist the history, try and rewrite it, talk about head to head matches, I am NEW, I am the face this company has turned to everytime they needed someone to carry it. It has never been Johnny Stylez, it will never Be Johnny Stylez, and it could never be Johnny Stylez, because at the end of the day, you aren’t strong enough to carry the weight Johnny.
Roger watched as Marie and Anicka rolled around in the flowers for a few minutes before Anicka went back to the crowns she was making, and Marie gathering the flowers. He smiled seeing the pure enjoyment both of them wore on their faces.
See Johnny, you know the monsters are real, you have been fighting them your whole life, your whole career, trying to live up to a standard. But you have never really understood that standard, never really got a grip on what it is you want to achieve. Sure you always thought it was about this title, about being the champ, something that could measure your greatness. But when it all ends, when it fades, what will people really remember you for? For christ sakes your need to be the best led you to create a whole championship concept, the blackout champion.
You didn’t do that because it was cool, no you did that because you wanted something that no one at the time could claim, because you were...not good enough to be the best. You weren’t good enough then, and we both know deep down inside you aren’t good enough now. The only difference is now, I know you aren’t good enough too. Your false bravado isn’t going to fool me, you antics won’t phase me, and your desire won’t stop me.
Everytime we got into that ring before, you had an edge, a momentary advantage Johnny. I was in awe of you when I came to NEW, admired your passion for the business, wanted to have that same drive you did. But now I know one thing, I have passed you, I don’t have to try and be better than you, I already am BETTER THAN YOU! I always was, always am, and always will be. Not just in that ring, but in everything I do. There is nothing that can happen this week that will change that Johnny, no outcome that will change my mind to that fact, or the minds of anyone else that is watching.
You had your chance, even created your own TITLE, and still no one really cared. But then that’s all you ever really wanted isn’t it Johnny, to feel like someone actually cares about you, to have someone say your name with some level of reverence. To think that when this is all done you will be remembered. Well my friend, Life goes on...It’s time to stop living in the past. Because the present is passing you by, and you are missing out on the things in life that really matter.
Roger moves from the tree and makes his way to Anicka and Marie. He kneels down next to Ani, puts a hand on her shoulder, kisses her neck and looks up to see Marie running up with a crown of flowers on her head. “Look daddy I am a princess now. I am the princess of the flowers.”
“The most beautiful princess I have ever seen Peanut.” Roger helps Anicka to her feet, takes the crown of flowers from her hands and places them upon her head. He smiles at her, and gives her a kiss.
“Ani is the queen daddy, you gave her the crown.” Marie dances around in the flowers as Roger and Anicka kiss one more time, and turn, her right hand in his left. “I am having so much fun daddy, Ani is the best and most beautiful Queen!” And with that, the three began to walk back to the ranch house, Marie dancing around Ani and Roger.
LATER THAT NIGHT
Shane enters the house, every week they walked the fencing, checking for any holes, or abnormalities in it. “Roger you here?” Shane yells into the house.
“Bedroom.” Came the reply from Roger.
Shane makes his way to the bedroom, pushing the partially ajar door open. There on the bed is Anicka, her hands tied to the posts at the head of the bed, her feet to the posts at the foot. The blanket draped across what Shane can only guess would be her naked body, a gag in her mouth. She fights and struggles at the sight of Shane in the doorway. Roger emerges from the bathroom puts his hat on, leans down and gives Anicka a kiss on the forehead. “Now don’t go anywhere while I’m gone, I’ll be back soon.”
Both Shane and Roger move for the door, Shane shaking his head and letting a small laugh escape him. They shut the bedroom door behind them. “What about Marie?” Shane asks.
“She’s doing that sleepover party at the Davis house tonight.” Roger winked as the two closed the door to the ranch house behind them.
“You two better be decent!” Shane announced, waiting for a good 10 seconds as the sounds picked up with intensity. “I have my eyes covered, hope you have covered up as well.” Shane pushed the door open and stepped into the room, the muffled sounds becoming clearly obvious that they were Roger, and he was gagged. Removing his hands, Shane gazed upon his friend.
Both arms were tied to the posts of the bed, both legs to the posts at the foot of the bed, he was stripped naked, gagged and wore nothing but a cowboy hat over his manhood. “What the fuck?” Shane asked as he moved forward and stood next to Roger. “You realize how god damn bad this would be if Marie came waltzing in here right now?” Roger just nodded all wide eyed back at Shane.
“How can you possibly think this is ok? Fuck Roger, I am getting tired of being the goddamn voice of reason, all the time I have to step in and set you on the right path. I mean fuck just when I was starting to think Ani was good for you, you go and do this.” Shane shook his head, half pacing next to the bed. “What the fuck do you have to say for yourself?” Shane looked at him and realized that he still had the gag in.
Shane pulls the gag out and Roger gasps. “For fucks sake about goddamn time. How about you untie me?” Roger looked at his arms.
“Dude, how did this even happen?” Shane asked as he began to untie Roger’s right arm.
“You really don’t want to know Shane, you really don’t want to know.” Roger said as he used the now free right hand to untie the left before sitting up and untying both feet. “Let’s just say that woman makes me want to do things I never dreamed of, and not in a bad way, but in a good way.” Roger’s lips parted and smiled at the thought of Anicka.
“I get it, I’ve seen that look before.” Shane just smiled and moved for the door. “Where are Anicka and Marie?” He asked.
“Went to the store. I was trying to tell ya that, but naw ya had to keep me all gagged up and go off about Marie finding me.” Roger kicked his legs over the side of the bed, holding the hat in place. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a shower.” Shane shut the door as Roger finished the statement, and Roger moved for the bathroom.
The water burst from the shower head, Roger stepped underneath, it and allowed it to cascade down his body, starting with the top of his head, and ending with his feet. He lathered up and got himself all clean, rinsing himself as he stood there.
A lot can go through a man’s mind, especially when he has so much to balance in this life. For the longest time it felt easy, the burden, the weight of my decisions, but now they carry with them a new level of torment. See, people talk about wanting to be champion, to be the best, but most of them truly don’t understand what that means, what comes with the territory. It isn’t just about being the best, or carrying around a fancy oversized gold belt. It’s about representing something, standing for something, and being the target of everyone.
See what they don’t tell you about being champion, is that your name becomes instant credibility, or at least people think it does. You have to deal with the Kyle Mansons of the world, saying your name simply because you are champion. Not that they know a damn thing about you. But it isn’t just you, it’s everyone you know, anyone you associate with, they become instantly targeted.
See that is the weight that people don’t understand, that people can’t handle. It’s not being champion, it’s being the target, and everyone around you being pulled into that target. Years ago Johnny and I went rounds, he couldn’t get to me by going at me, he knew it, so what did he do, he went at Shane, turned my best friend against me. It worked back then, but that’s the other thing you don’t get told, the thing you have to learn on your own. You have to figure out how to adapt, to overcome and be better. You don’t keep the title by being the same man every week, you keep it by overcoming all the obstacles and adapting as they come.
I’ve learned from the past, I won’t be living in it. Your record against me means two things right now Johnny, JACK AND SHIT!!!! History is just that, history. You can talk about it all you want, scream it as much as possible, shine it up and make it look real good, angle it to your favor. But the truth is, it doesn’t matter, it will never matter, and deep down inside you know it.
Maybe this time, for once in your life you can be original Johnny, say something that you haven’t said a thousand times, say it in a way that doesn’t make a child psychologist cringe. But alas we both know that isn’t how it will be. No you will do what you always do and that’s fine Johnny, because this time you aren’t getting in the ring with a man who is scared, with a man who is worried about losing to you. No this time you get into the ring with a man who just doesn’t goddamn care about what you have to say. So go do what you gotta do Johnny, tell the world what you need to, pump that ego up as big as you can get it. Come Cold Front it won’t matter, your words will mean nothing, they will have the same impact as a single snowflake on the pavement.
While Roger takes his shower, Shane moves for the couch, pulling out the laptop to run some numbers. Since Roger returned to the ring, Shane had taken everything over for the business, making the decisions, turning the profits, and ensuring that Roger’s legacy remained exactly what he wanted it to be. Sure it came with a big raise, but it also brought about the jokes, the whispers when no one else thought people were listening, Roger and Shane and their unspoken love. Because to those simple minded people in the world, what else could two men that were so close and grew up together possibly have than some forbidden love.
“Uncle Shane!!!!” Marie came charging into the living room, jumping onto the couch next to him. He hadn’t even heard the door, but he could smell the Vanilla as it wafted past him, Anicka carrying bags of groceries to the kitchen. “I made you something uncle Shane, let me go get it.” Marie jumped off the couch and charged up the stairs.
Seeing the chance, Shane turned turned to Anicka who was unpacking the groceries her and Marie had purchased. “What the hell were you thinking leaving Roger tied up like that in the bedroom?” Shane asked, accusation filling his words. “Marie could have walked in on him at anytime, do you really think that would have been a great way for her to find her dad?”
“Ani would never let that happen, Marie was with Ani the whole time. Beside Ani knew you would be along to let him out and if not, Ani would distract Marie and untie cowboy.” She knowingly winked at shane as she pulled out the lunchmeat, bread and some chips.
“And just how exactly where you going to distract Marie?” Shane stood up with an accusatory stature from the couch, his eyes fixed on Anicka.
“Ani would have sent her to the stables to ride until lunch. Besides, like Ani said, she knew you would be along to let him out.” Back to the food prep Anicka went, the door to Roger’s bedroom opening out and out walking Roger, just as Marie came barrelling down the stairs.
“Daddy!” Marie leapt off the bottom step into Roger’s arms. He spun her around, kissed her forehead and set her back down.
“Whatcha got there Peanut?” Roger knelt down to her level and looked at the bead bracelet that said best Uncle ever on it. “I think Shane is going to like that.”
“Me too.” She smiled a big smile and ran to the living room to give the bracelet to Shane, whose attention had turned from Anicka the moment Roger walked out of the bedroom.
“There you are beauty.” Roger wrapped his arms around Anicka’s waist, and kissed her neck softly as she continued making their lunch. “Someone has some payback coming later.” he whispered in her ear. The only response he received was a giant smile, and a soft shutter from Ani as she finished lunch.
LATER THAT DAY
A large sprawl of flowers fill the field, Roger leaned against a tree. Roger, Marie and Ani had just enjoyed a wonderful picnic together, and now Marie was running around in the field, picking flowers for Anicka, who sat on the blanket working with the flowers to make what could only be crowns for her and Marie.
Do you know what that is? It’s happiness, something you don’t even understand Johnny, because you place happiness on objects, measure it through achievements. But I’m a different breed, the objects don’t matter to me, because what I have you don’t win, it’s not a competition Johnny. See you can take this title, you can beat me in this ring, you can be champion but you will never be able to achieve what I have.
Deep down inside you know that though, you have spent your whole career trying to achieve it, your whole career trying to obtain it, you just didn’t know how. After this week at Cold Front you won’t still won’t know how, you still won’t get it, and sadly you never will. See while you think this title will bring you happiness, you will ultimately lose it, and then will find yourself in a place you hate being, you will find yourself as a loser.
It’s ok thought Johnny, losing isn’t the end of the world, it’s really just the beginning, but you won’t see it, no you will try and find a way to justify it in your mind. Maybe you had bad eggs for breakfast, so you had an upset stomach, that’s why you lost. Or maybe Blair didn’t relieve your tension well enough before the match, who knows, at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter. We will all know it’s not because you had some issue, it’s because you were fighting for the wrong thing.
You are coming to this match to win this title, that's it, it’s all that is on your mind. You don’t care if it’s me in the match, Ryan Pugh, or Jim from the supermarket. All you know is this title is what you want, nothing else. You can talk a big game, tell everyone you want to beat me, but that’s not the truth. No you want this title, because to you this belt makes you credible, but deep down you know that isn’t really true. The title doesn’t make the man, the man makes the title, and no man has ever made this title better than I do.
Deep down inside that is what really kills you. No matter how you twist the history, try and rewrite it, talk about head to head matches, I am NEW, I am the face this company has turned to everytime they needed someone to carry it. It has never been Johnny Stylez, it will never Be Johnny Stylez, and it could never be Johnny Stylez, because at the end of the day, you aren’t strong enough to carry the weight Johnny.
Roger watched as Marie and Anicka rolled around in the flowers for a few minutes before Anicka went back to the crowns she was making, and Marie gathering the flowers. He smiled seeing the pure enjoyment both of them wore on their faces.
See Johnny, you know the monsters are real, you have been fighting them your whole life, your whole career, trying to live up to a standard. But you have never really understood that standard, never really got a grip on what it is you want to achieve. Sure you always thought it was about this title, about being the champ, something that could measure your greatness. But when it all ends, when it fades, what will people really remember you for? For christ sakes your need to be the best led you to create a whole championship concept, the blackout champion.
You didn’t do that because it was cool, no you did that because you wanted something that no one at the time could claim, because you were...not good enough to be the best. You weren’t good enough then, and we both know deep down inside you aren’t good enough now. The only difference is now, I know you aren’t good enough too. Your false bravado isn’t going to fool me, you antics won’t phase me, and your desire won’t stop me.
Everytime we got into that ring before, you had an edge, a momentary advantage Johnny. I was in awe of you when I came to NEW, admired your passion for the business, wanted to have that same drive you did. But now I know one thing, I have passed you, I don’t have to try and be better than you, I already am BETTER THAN YOU! I always was, always am, and always will be. Not just in that ring, but in everything I do. There is nothing that can happen this week that will change that Johnny, no outcome that will change my mind to that fact, or the minds of anyone else that is watching.
You had your chance, even created your own TITLE, and still no one really cared. But then that’s all you ever really wanted isn’t it Johnny, to feel like someone actually cares about you, to have someone say your name with some level of reverence. To think that when this is all done you will be remembered. Well my friend, Life goes on...It’s time to stop living in the past. Because the present is passing you by, and you are missing out on the things in life that really matter.
Roger moves from the tree and makes his way to Anicka and Marie. He kneels down next to Ani, puts a hand on her shoulder, kisses her neck and looks up to see Marie running up with a crown of flowers on her head. “Look daddy I am a princess now. I am the princess of the flowers.”
“The most beautiful princess I have ever seen Peanut.” Roger helps Anicka to her feet, takes the crown of flowers from her hands and places them upon her head. He smiles at her, and gives her a kiss.
“Ani is the queen daddy, you gave her the crown.” Marie dances around in the flowers as Roger and Anicka kiss one more time, and turn, her right hand in his left. “I am having so much fun daddy, Ani is the best and most beautiful Queen!” And with that, the three began to walk back to the ranch house, Marie dancing around Ani and Roger.
LATER THAT NIGHT
Shane enters the house, every week they walked the fencing, checking for any holes, or abnormalities in it. “Roger you here?” Shane yells into the house.
“Bedroom.” Came the reply from Roger.
Shane makes his way to the bedroom, pushing the partially ajar door open. There on the bed is Anicka, her hands tied to the posts at the head of the bed, her feet to the posts at the foot. The blanket draped across what Shane can only guess would be her naked body, a gag in her mouth. She fights and struggles at the sight of Shane in the doorway. Roger emerges from the bathroom puts his hat on, leans down and gives Anicka a kiss on the forehead. “Now don’t go anywhere while I’m gone, I’ll be back soon.”
Both Shane and Roger move for the door, Shane shaking his head and letting a small laugh escape him. They shut the bedroom door behind them. “What about Marie?” Shane asks.
“She’s doing that sleepover party at the Davis house tonight.” Roger winked as the two closed the door to the ranch house behind them.