Post by Damian Kaine on Sept 19, 2021 2:04:02 GMT -5
“It’s funny, ya know?”
Damian Kaine comes into view, in an otherwise dark room. He still sports his WCF Brotherhood t-shirt, with jeans.
“What a difference that three weeks can make. Three weeks ago, I sat in an empty bar in Kennesaw, Georgia with three darts and a plethora of ammunition that I proceeded to use to eviscerate the seven people that stood between me and the All In briefcase.”
“Now? I prepare to share the ring with one of those people, but not as adversaries. I will be in the same corner that CJ Phoenix stands, as his tag team partner. And frankly, that’s the way it should be.”
“You see, I said very little about CJ. I didn’t try and tear him apart like I did Jill Park or Kyle Kemp. And that’s because, of everybody in that match, CJ was the only one that I genuinely respect.”
He motions to his shirt, and pinpoints CJ’s face, from years ago.
“CJ Phoenix is my Brother. And whether he knows it or not, I am his. I told you all that one thing I regretted was not keeping touch with my Brothers after the Brotherhood fell apart, and I meant that.”
“That is why I came back to Clash. See, initially, I was there to speak with CJ backstage. I was going to wait until after his match, and congratulate him as soon as he hit the back. Because I knew he would make short work of Beefer. But I was naive to believe that it would be a fair match. And as soon as I saw it wasn’t… I had to save my Brother.”
“See, Beefer, I’ve come across men like you before. You’ll rant and you’ll rave about not getting a shot, like you deserve the world. Then you’ll proceed to take shortcuts and make yourself look like a fool. You radiate jealousy, Beef. You claim that CJ has been ‘given’ shot after shot, and you want yours now. Tell me, what have you done to earn it?”
“Absolutely nothing.”
“See, Beef, there’s a big difference between you and CJ Phoenix. That difference has led to both CJ’s Hardcore Championship reign, as well as his slot in the All In match. CJ has put in the work, with more effort and more heart emanating from his little pinky than you or Shane Striker have in your entire fucking body. Yet, you have the gall to question his placement in the show?”
Damian shakes his head.
“You two are nothing more than the schoolyard bullies of Action Wrestling, literally throwing your weight around in an attempt to make yourself feel good. You pretend you belong here. You insert yourself where you shouldn’t. It’s nothing new.”
“Let’s get one thing straight, though. This isn’t a cake walk for you. If anything, this match will be over in a matter of five minutes, just like my match with Shane last week. CJ and I, we’re of a like mind. We have each other's backs. And when two Brothers are on the same page, Beef. Well, there’s simply no chance for a bully to succeed.”
“So, you can proceed with anything you have to say about CJ. You can say that I, too, stuck my nose where it doesn’t belong. You can talk all of the shit that your few brain cells can muster up, because when it comes down to it, the Brotherhood will stand tall once again. Even if it’s only for one night.”
Damian’s phone buzzes. As he checks it, his mood sours.
“Well… I’d keep ripping you to shreds, but I’ll take a break instead. I have more important matters to deal with.”
“This is bullshit!”
Damian slams his fist on his kitchen counter, rattling the cabinets above. He turns around to the dining table, where he meets the eyes of his beloved wife.
“Has Christian called you back?”
“Hah!”
Damian sits next to Ally, and places his face in his hands.
“Christian is probably far too stoned to even remember he HAS a law degree, let alone to answer me.”
They both sigh, and Damian puts his head on the table.
“Well, maybe this is for the best, babe.”
Ally puts her head on Damian’s shoulder.
“How could this possibly be for the best?”
“Well, this could let you be home more often…”
Damian lifts his head up and looks at his wife.
“Really? Now? Now’s the time you want to bring this up?”
Damian rises from the table and starts to pace around the room.
“Look, I was okay with you going back to do the talk show. But I wasn’t expecting you to get back in the ring, Damian! And full time? Hell, I was even okay with you being on CruiserClash, because it meant you wouldn’t have to do all the meet and greets, and extra hours. I just don’t see how you could even be home every week, now that you’re on the main roster.”
“It’s not the main roster, Ally. It’s just the Clash Roster. CruiserClash is just as important as Clash. There’s just less for them to do , what, with the smaller roster. But with this season wrapping up, I need the AW money to take care of you and August. The Home isn’t exactly bringing in much money.”
“Well, if you took my advice, and-”
“I’m not going to charge those kids rent, Al. That would go against everything the Home stands for. It’s not a hotel; it’s a boarding home.”
“I’m just saying… It would be a great source of income… Besides, do they even have jobs?”
“No, they want to wrestle. Which is another reason I couldn’t just up and leave AW. If I do that, there’s no telling if those kids would make it anywhere other than the indie scene.”
Damian’s face lights up as he talks. He quickly fumbles around in the kitchen, pulling a pad and a pen from a drawer.
After writing a few things down, he turns to Ally again.
“I think I just thought of a way to make some extra money while still wrestling… What if-”
He’s interrupted by his own phone. He picks it up and his face sours again. After letting it ring, he finally answers.
“What’s up, Chris?”
Damian puts the call on speaker phone as he walks back to the table.
“Aight, DK, I got some good news, and some bad news.”
“Hit me with the bad first.”
“Well, there’s no loopholes to exploit in this contract. Netflix is very thorough in their clauses.”
Damian and Ally throw their heads back, groaning.
“Let me finish, guys. Now, there’s no loopholes. But, we did misunderstand a few things in what they’re saying. They’re not saying you can’t be on any other streaming services, like we thought.”
DK raises an eyebrow.
“Well, then, what’s the issue?”
“That’s the kicker. While they don’t have issue with you being on Paramount+, they take issue with their copyrighted designs being displayed on Paramount, as well as any advertising done on other services. And, seeing as how you’ve openly advertised for the show on AW networking, which would be shown in the AW Network archives…”
“They have the right to fire me for this. Fuck…”
“I’m sorry bruh. I don’t know how to help you out here. I know damn well that Torture isn’t going to take well to editing the shows on the site, so really, you’re at a standstill. They’ve offered you a great deal to stay. As your former agent, I can’t help but advise you to take it.”
“And what? Give up on my two-decade long dream of being a wrestler? Not a fucking chance. There’s gotta be something, Christian. You’re the best lawyer I know, get me out of this.”
“Dame, I’m trying man. Netflix is a monster. They wouldn’t be easy to go up against in court. And they’re giving you until the end of the month to make a decision, or else that’s exactly where we end up.”
“The end of the month?! That’s fucking two weeks! How am I supposed to make a decision like this in two fucking weeks?!”
“I don’t know, brother. But you have to do something. This isn’t going to blow over anytime soon.”
Silence fills the room as Damian and Ally sit there.
“Aight, I’mma let y’all think about this, and hit the head. I’ll call you if anything comes up, Dame. Later, bruh.”
“Later man.”
Christian hangs up, leaving the Kaines to their thoughts.
Finally, they both get up, and silently go to bed, seemingly defeated by the new information.
Damian and Ally are fast asleep in their bed, and the only sound that is heard is the light music from Baby August’s mobile.
Suddenly, Damian shoots upward, waking his wife.
“Babe, are you okay?!”
Damian talks through heavy breathing.
“I know what I have to do!”
He turns to look at Ally with a deadpan look in his eyes.
“I have to buy the show!”
Damian Kaine comes into view, in an otherwise dark room. He still sports his WCF Brotherhood t-shirt, with jeans.
“What a difference that three weeks can make. Three weeks ago, I sat in an empty bar in Kennesaw, Georgia with three darts and a plethora of ammunition that I proceeded to use to eviscerate the seven people that stood between me and the All In briefcase.”
“Now? I prepare to share the ring with one of those people, but not as adversaries. I will be in the same corner that CJ Phoenix stands, as his tag team partner. And frankly, that’s the way it should be.”
“You see, I said very little about CJ. I didn’t try and tear him apart like I did Jill Park or Kyle Kemp. And that’s because, of everybody in that match, CJ was the only one that I genuinely respect.”
He motions to his shirt, and pinpoints CJ’s face, from years ago.
“CJ Phoenix is my Brother. And whether he knows it or not, I am his. I told you all that one thing I regretted was not keeping touch with my Brothers after the Brotherhood fell apart, and I meant that.”
“That is why I came back to Clash. See, initially, I was there to speak with CJ backstage. I was going to wait until after his match, and congratulate him as soon as he hit the back. Because I knew he would make short work of Beefer. But I was naive to believe that it would be a fair match. And as soon as I saw it wasn’t… I had to save my Brother.”
“See, Beefer, I’ve come across men like you before. You’ll rant and you’ll rave about not getting a shot, like you deserve the world. Then you’ll proceed to take shortcuts and make yourself look like a fool. You radiate jealousy, Beef. You claim that CJ has been ‘given’ shot after shot, and you want yours now. Tell me, what have you done to earn it?”
“Absolutely nothing.”
“See, Beef, there’s a big difference between you and CJ Phoenix. That difference has led to both CJ’s Hardcore Championship reign, as well as his slot in the All In match. CJ has put in the work, with more effort and more heart emanating from his little pinky than you or Shane Striker have in your entire fucking body. Yet, you have the gall to question his placement in the show?”
Damian shakes his head.
“You two are nothing more than the schoolyard bullies of Action Wrestling, literally throwing your weight around in an attempt to make yourself feel good. You pretend you belong here. You insert yourself where you shouldn’t. It’s nothing new.”
“Let’s get one thing straight, though. This isn’t a cake walk for you. If anything, this match will be over in a matter of five minutes, just like my match with Shane last week. CJ and I, we’re of a like mind. We have each other's backs. And when two Brothers are on the same page, Beef. Well, there’s simply no chance for a bully to succeed.”
“So, you can proceed with anything you have to say about CJ. You can say that I, too, stuck my nose where it doesn’t belong. You can talk all of the shit that your few brain cells can muster up, because when it comes down to it, the Brotherhood will stand tall once again. Even if it’s only for one night.”
Damian’s phone buzzes. As he checks it, his mood sours.
“Well… I’d keep ripping you to shreds, but I’ll take a break instead. I have more important matters to deal with.”
The Big House
LPHFWS
10:41 PM
“This is bullshit!”
Damian slams his fist on his kitchen counter, rattling the cabinets above. He turns around to the dining table, where he meets the eyes of his beloved wife.
“Has Christian called you back?”
“Hah!”
Damian sits next to Ally, and places his face in his hands.
“Christian is probably far too stoned to even remember he HAS a law degree, let alone to answer me.”
They both sigh, and Damian puts his head on the table.
“Well, maybe this is for the best, babe.”
Ally puts her head on Damian’s shoulder.
“How could this possibly be for the best?”
“Well, this could let you be home more often…”
Damian lifts his head up and looks at his wife.
“Really? Now? Now’s the time you want to bring this up?”
Damian rises from the table and starts to pace around the room.
“Look, I was okay with you going back to do the talk show. But I wasn’t expecting you to get back in the ring, Damian! And full time? Hell, I was even okay with you being on CruiserClash, because it meant you wouldn’t have to do all the meet and greets, and extra hours. I just don’t see how you could even be home every week, now that you’re on the main roster.”
“It’s not the main roster, Ally. It’s just the Clash Roster. CruiserClash is just as important as Clash. There’s just less for them to do , what, with the smaller roster. But with this season wrapping up, I need the AW money to take care of you and August. The Home isn’t exactly bringing in much money.”
“Well, if you took my advice, and-”
“I’m not going to charge those kids rent, Al. That would go against everything the Home stands for. It’s not a hotel; it’s a boarding home.”
“I’m just saying… It would be a great source of income… Besides, do they even have jobs?”
“No, they want to wrestle. Which is another reason I couldn’t just up and leave AW. If I do that, there’s no telling if those kids would make it anywhere other than the indie scene.”
Damian’s face lights up as he talks. He quickly fumbles around in the kitchen, pulling a pad and a pen from a drawer.
After writing a few things down, he turns to Ally again.
“I think I just thought of a way to make some extra money while still wrestling… What if-”
He’s interrupted by his own phone. He picks it up and his face sours again. After letting it ring, he finally answers.
“What’s up, Chris?”
Damian puts the call on speaker phone as he walks back to the table.
“Aight, DK, I got some good news, and some bad news.”
“Hit me with the bad first.”
“Well, there’s no loopholes to exploit in this contract. Netflix is very thorough in their clauses.”
Damian and Ally throw their heads back, groaning.
“Let me finish, guys. Now, there’s no loopholes. But, we did misunderstand a few things in what they’re saying. They’re not saying you can’t be on any other streaming services, like we thought.”
DK raises an eyebrow.
“Well, then, what’s the issue?”
“That’s the kicker. While they don’t have issue with you being on Paramount+, they take issue with their copyrighted designs being displayed on Paramount, as well as any advertising done on other services. And, seeing as how you’ve openly advertised for the show on AW networking, which would be shown in the AW Network archives…”
“They have the right to fire me for this. Fuck…”
“I’m sorry bruh. I don’t know how to help you out here. I know damn well that Torture isn’t going to take well to editing the shows on the site, so really, you’re at a standstill. They’ve offered you a great deal to stay. As your former agent, I can’t help but advise you to take it.”
“And what? Give up on my two-decade long dream of being a wrestler? Not a fucking chance. There’s gotta be something, Christian. You’re the best lawyer I know, get me out of this.”
“Dame, I’m trying man. Netflix is a monster. They wouldn’t be easy to go up against in court. And they’re giving you until the end of the month to make a decision, or else that’s exactly where we end up.”
“The end of the month?! That’s fucking two weeks! How am I supposed to make a decision like this in two fucking weeks?!”
“I don’t know, brother. But you have to do something. This isn’t going to blow over anytime soon.”
Silence fills the room as Damian and Ally sit there.
“Aight, I’mma let y’all think about this, and hit the head. I’ll call you if anything comes up, Dame. Later, bruh.”
“Later man.”
Christian hangs up, leaving the Kaines to their thoughts.
Finally, they both get up, and silently go to bed, seemingly defeated by the new information.
The Big House
LPHFWS
3:17 AM
Damian and Ally are fast asleep in their bed, and the only sound that is heard is the light music from Baby August’s mobile.
Suddenly, Damian shoots upward, waking his wife.
“Babe, are you okay?!”
Damian talks through heavy breathing.
“I know what I have to do!”
He turns to look at Ally with a deadpan look in his eyes.
“I have to buy the show!”